KOHAT, Feb 6: Six tribes of the Frontier Region of Kohat sought one week to expel militants hiding in Darra Adamkhel and other criminals after receiving a warning from the political administration on Wednesday.

A jirga of 150 tribal elders from the Frontier Region held at the circuit house of Kohat was told by the political agent to pinpoint harbourers of militants and criminals and devise an effective strategy to ensure security of the Indus Highway and the Kohat tunnel.

The political agent and the district coordination officer of Kohat, Kamran Zeb, who presided over the jirga, also told the elders that FIRs would be registered under the Frontier Crimes Regulation against tribes on whose territory personnel of security forces were killed.

“The government knows that militants are hiding in Darra Adamkhel and that they will surface again to resume their activities. To check them, cooperation of the tribesmen is very necessary,” Mr Zeb told Dawn. He said the administration had made it clear to the tribesmen that it was due to their irresponsible attitude during the last four years that had encouraged militancy and the government had to launch an operation against miscreants.

The administration also asked the tribesmen to form a lashkar to fight militants in case they resurfaced in the area.

The elders proposed establishment of army checkposts on the Indus Highway for security of passengers and the Kohat tunnel. Recently, militants made public a ‘hit-list’ which included names of former MNAs and senators.

The government has also warned the tribal elders that if they were found helping militants, the Frontier Region can be declared a settled area and merged with the Kohat district, Dawn learnt reliably.