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KHAR: Several tribal elders in Bajaur Agency have warned to suspend support to the local political administration if their names are not included in the list of a tribal delegation to meet President Asif Zardari on Feb 28 in Islamabad.
Tribal elders belonging to various tribes of Slarazi, Mamond, Nawagi, Charmkand, Barang and Utmankhel tehsils told reporters here on Friday that under the auspices of Shaheed Bhutto Foundation a 300-strong tribal delegation from different areas of tribal agencies would meet President Zardari. They said that the local administration had assured them that they would be included, but it ignored them while finalising the list of elders.
Talking to reporters, Malik Mohammad Younis of Salarzai, Malik Mohammad Rahman of Nawagai, Malik Sultan Zeb of Mamond, Malik Mohammad Khail of Barang and Malik Gul Dad of Utmankhel tribes claimed that most of 21 elders representing their region in the delegation belonged to Khar tehsil while elders of other regions were ignored.
The elders said that the decision had disappointed them, as they had always supported the government and the local political administration for the restoration of peace and writ of the state.
The elders warned that if their names were not included in the list of tribal elders' delegation they would suspend their support to the local administration and boycott all its functions.
When contacted, coordinator of Shaheed Bhutto Foundation Usman Khan told this scribe that the foundation had made the lists according to the recommendation of the local political administration. He admitted that all the elders in the list of Bajaur delegation belonged to Khar tehsil. He said that were bound to follow the administration's line.
