KOHAT, Aug 25: Two local journalists have been threatened with execution by the local Taliban in Darra Adam Khel for writing against them.

The two journalists have been asked to apologise to the militants or else be prepared for death, a spokesman for the Taliban told Dawn. The journalists, working for a local Urdu newspaper, had accused the Darra Taliban leader Maulana Arif and his accomplices of distributing among themselves the booty and gold seized at the house of a notorious criminal killed earlier this month.

“The Taliban took action against notorious criminals in the best interest of the people and released four kidnapped persons, recovered 16 stolen vehicles, cash, hashish, jewellery and arms. We have already started the process of giving back stolen vehicles to their rightful owners,” the spokesman said.

He said the drugs would be destroyed while the cash and jewellery would be handed over to their owners after they were traced out.