HANGU, Aug 2: The political administration of Orakzai Agency arrested nine Rabiakhel tribesmen and withheld incentives being enjoyed by the tribal elders after they failed to hand over a kidnapper to the authorities.

The administration also stopped salaries of those government employees who belong to that tribe.

Talking to this reporter on telephone from Kalaya, the agency headquarters, officials identified the kidnapper and bandit as Abdul Matin. They said the administration had launched the crackdown against Rabiakhels as they had failed to hand over the culprit.

They said Major Musharraf was kidnapped at gunpoint one year ago and added that Matin was involved in the crime.

The operation against the Rabiakhel tribesmen was launched in the Tappa Payokhel area on Saturday and Matin’s brother was among the nine taken into custody.

Sources said another operation clean-up was in the offing in the agency under Section 40 of the Frontier Crime Regulations. Action would also taken against those people of the tribe who ran their businesses in settled districts under Section 21 of FCR.

Officials said the crackdown would continue until the tribesmen handed over the kidnapper to the authorities.