MANSEHRA, March 11: The administration of Kohistan district has constituted a 70-member jirga of local ulema and elders, which would extend help to the law-enforcement agencies in arresting perpetrators of the Feb 28 Harban bus attack.

“This jirga would also discuss ways to arrest those involved in Harban carnage with the jirga of elders and ulema of Diamer. It will also convey the message of Kohistanis to people of Gilgit-Baltistan that their area should not be used for settling scores of the sectarian conflict in Gilgit,” said Maulana Dildar Ahmad, a former provincial minister and key member of the jirga, while talking to reporters at Dassu on Sunday.

The 70 members of the jirga were selected in Dassu at a big gathering, which was also attended by district coordination officer Aqil Badshah and district police officer Mohammad Ilyas.

The participants condemned killing of 16 people in Harban attack and vowed to extend cooperation to the administration in arrest of the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Maulana Dildar said that the district administration of Diamer had also constituted a jirga of elders and ulema, which would hold dialogues with Kohistan jirga in Chilas. He said that besides other factors concerning the attack an international conspiracy to pitch the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan against each other couldn’t be ruled out.

MINER KILLED: A labourer was killed when a white stone mine caved in Ahal area here on Sunday.

Eyewitnesses said that about 20 labourers were engaged in excavating white stones when the mine collapsed, burying Mohammad Bashir, 30. All other labourers remained unhurt.

The labourers retrieved their trapped colleague after hectic efforts, but he succumbed to injuries on way to hospital.

A local elder, Mohammad Zaheer, told reporters that the work at the mine had been going on illegally, but neither police nor the mining department took any action.

At least 11 labourers were killed in an incident at such an illegal mine at Qalandarabad early last month.

In another incident, one Sultan Zaheer was killed when a speeding truck hit him on Karakoram Highway at Kotli Bala area here on Sunday. Battal police have started investigation after registering the case. Mr Zaheer belonged to Battagram.