LANDI KOTAL, Aug 22: Assistant political agent of Landi Kotal Tayyab Abdullah on Wednesday administered physical punishment to a group of khasadar personnel over failure to provide him with the sought-after protocol on time, it is learned.

Officials of the local administration told Dawn that APA Tayyab Abdullah called a protocol party of the khasadar force to escort him from Karkhano checkpost in Peshawar to Landi Kotal but the latter failed to show up on time due to the massive repair work and traffic jams on Peshawar-Torkham Road.They said the delayed arrival of the khasadar personnel from Landi Kotal infuriated Tayyab Abdullah, who, on return to Landi Kotal, asked the khasadar personnel in question to take several rounds of the FC ground inside the army camp and gave sticks to others to punish those not following his orders.

The officials said the APA also ordered the tying up of a khasadar solider to the official jeep before asking the driver to drag him around the ground over failure to take rounds of the ground due to illness.

A khasadar man, who is witness to the incident, said the APA had no authority to mete out inhuman and humiliating treatment to the personnel.

He said khasadar personnel were bound by duty to provide escort to their officials at Prang Sam checkpost only after their entry to Landi Kotal tehsil from Jamrud.

“Karkhano checkpost doesn’t fall in our territorial jurisdiction and even the political agent can’t call khasadar personnel from Landi Kotal,” he said.

The khasadar man said the incident would demoralise the entire force, which had rendered valuable services and sacrifices against militants and had a tough duty.

Though APA Tayyab Abdullah was not available for version on the incident, it is learned that he wants the affected khasadar to forget about it.