KHYBER: The elders of Bar Qambarkhel tribe in Bara took serious exception to increasing incidents of targeted killing and demanded of the law enforcement agencies to take immediate steps to improve the situation.

During a jirga held in Takia Qaumi Markaz on Sunday, the Bar Qambarkhel elders termed the inaction of officials against targeted killing a criminal negligence and alleged that not a single person involved in those crimes was nabbed so far.

The jirga endorsed the Bara Siyasi Ittehad’s decision of holding protest demonstration while not burying the victim of targeted killing in future. The participants of the jirga also formed a committee comprising 10 representatives from every sub-tribe of Bar Qambarkhel to hold consultations on the incidents of targeted killing and other local issues.

They decided to resolve all the domestic issues in accordance with local customs and traditions while not offending the sentiments of any individual or group in the area.

TIMBER: The district administration on Sunday seized three vehicles loaded with timber during raids on different warehouses in Jamrud.

A statement issued from Khyber House said that the raids were conducted on timber warehouses after receiving information about presence of huge quantity of timber brought illegally from natural forests of Tirah valley.

It said that four timber smugglers were also arrested for their involvement in illegal cutting of forest and transporting the chopped timber to markets in Jamrud and Peshawar. The warehouses were also sealed.

The residents of Tirah have long been complaining of massive cutting of natural forest in different parts of the valley and then its secret transportation to Jamrud and Bara from where it is sent to major cities of the country. They have been demanding a ban on forest cutting and deputing more forest staff and police at the checkposts to stop the smuggling of timber from the valley.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2023