LANDI KOTAL, Feb 26: The political administration on Tuesday halted the crackdown on Jandakhel, a sub-tribe of Malikdinkhel, after tribal elders assured it of their assistance in the recovery of the missing Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin.

Political authorities had earlier arrested at least ten tribesmen under the Collective Territorial Responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation. The Malikdinkhel elders held a meeting with the Jamrud assistant political agent on Tuesday, demanding release of the arrested men and end to the crackdown.

Officials however refused to release the arrested tribesmen but promised to refrain from any further arrests as long as the Malikdinkhels continued to assist the administration.Earlier, a jirga of Malikdinkhel elders resolved to expel those persons from their area who were involved in the kidnapping of the missing envoy along with demolishing their houses.

The jirga held in Chora on Monday however demanded that the authorities should compensate them for the losses, caused to them during the crackdown, if the culprits involved in the kidnapping of the ambassador were not from their tribe.

Tariq Azizuddin, guard and driver were abducted at gunpoint from the main Peshawar-Torkham road on February 11 when they were on their way to Kabul.

The Khyber Agency political administration has so far failed to find any clue to the kidnapping of the three men.