LANDI KOTAL: An aged Sipah tribesman of Bara tehsil has died of cardiac arrest while in custody of the security forces.

Sources said 70-year-old Chinar Gul, a resident of Ghaibi Khel area of Sipah, had voluntarily handed himself over to the security forces in October 2015 after the political administration demanded of the Sipah tribe to turn him over.

Over a 100 suspected tribesmen were wanted to security forces for their alleged affiliation with proscribed militant group Lashkar-i-Islam.

The sources said though name of Chinar Gul was not included in the list he was persuaded by family to surrender himself to the forces under the collective territorial responsibility as one of his brothers, Shindi Gul, had served as head of a so-called Amn committee in Bara, which was accused of challenging the authority of the political administration.

The sources said family members of Chinar Gul wanted him to obtain ‘a clean chit’ of good conduct from the security forces.

However, he remained in the custody for almost 22 months but without any trial to prove his innocence.

Official sources said he developed severe pain in chest a few days ago and was taken to a Peshawar hospital where he died of cardiac arrest.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2017