LANDI KOTAL: Rich tribute was paid during a ceremony in Jamrud on Tuesday to the Khasadar and Levies personnel who had laid down their lives in search and military operations, bomb blasts and attacks on their posts in different parts of the Khyber Agency during last several months.

The Khyber Agency political administration organised the Youm-i-Shuhada at the Jamrud Jirga Hall which was attended by political agent Khalid Mehmud and Lt-Col Rahim and Lt-Col Abdus Sattar of the Swat Scouts and Mehsud Scouts, respectively, along with assistant political agents of Jamrud, Bara and Landi Kotal, local elders and relatives of the martyred personnel.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mehmud said that sacrifices of the martyred personnel for their motherland would always be remembered.

He said that the brave and courageous Khasadar and Levies men sacrificed their lives while protecting the lives of tribesmen and thus restoring peace in the region.

The political agent said that free education would be given to the children of all the martyrs along with extending financial assistance to their families.

He announced that the martyrs day would be observed in Khyber Agency every year on Sept 19. He distributed awards and shields among the relatives of 97 martyred Khasadar and Levies men.

Meanwhile, officials of the local political administration and Frontier Corps visited the houses of 17 abducted Shinwari tribesmen in Landi Kotal on Tuesday.

The officials assured the families of the abducted men that all efforts would be made to recover them as soon as possible. Unidentified gunmen had abducted 17 picnickers on Sept 3 from a picnic spot close to the Afghan border.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2017