TANK, Dec 28: Armed tribesmen occupied a checkpoint in Jandola, bordering South Waziristan Agency, on Thursday, demanding release of the people arrested on charge of kidnapping of a local trader.

Sources said the Tata Bittani tribesmen stormed the Khergi checkpoint and expelled the Khasadar force personnel from there.

The political authorities had arrested several tribesmen, sealed their shops and impounded their vehicles in connection with the kidnapping of the trader from Jandola bazaar.

The tribesmen complained that the authorities had arrested a number of tribesmen and sealed their shops in Jandola and Tank under the collective and territorial responsibility clauses of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

They said that administra-

tion instead of arresting the kidnappers had launched a crackdown against the Tata Bittani tribe.

They said they would not vacate the checkpoint unless the administration released the arrested tribesmen.

Officials said negotiations were under way between the authorities and members of a peace committee headed by Engineer Nabi Gul Bittani to resolve the issue.