UPPER DIR, Feb 1: A local jirga has failed to secure release of Akhtar Jan Kohistani, an Afghan official, from militants in Doog Darra and expressed its inability and lack of power to confront the kidnappers.

The jirga asked the government to tackle the situation, as militants were not ready to free the captive or leave the area. Around 100 persons including about 30 religious scholars held talks with the kidnappers at Shatkas area of Doog Darra but could not convince them to leave the area.

Militants, represented by Maulvi Khitab and others, stuck to their demand of releasing of an Afghan commander Qari Mahiuddin alias Abdullah. They said that they would hand over Mr Kohistani to the locals if ten elders guaranteed release of Mr Qari.

However, no one was ready to give any kind of assurance to militants. The jirga members said that government should intervene now to resolve the issue.

Local sources privy to the meeting said that militants instead of accepting the people’s demand asked them to support them in ‘jihad’ and their struggle for ‘Sharia’ in the area. The jirga, they added, gathered some courage to tell militants that all the people living there were good Muslims and were not against jihad or Sharia but they would not tolerate destruction of peace and turmoil in the mane of Sharia. The also made it clear that they would not allow militants to bring bad name to their area.

“Your presence and activities will destroy peace of the area, which we cannot tolerate,” the sources quoted some members of the jirga as telling militants. However, militants were defiant and unmoved, the sources added. KILLED: A woman was killed in the name of honour in Barawal town of Upper Dir district here on Sunday. The woman, a mother of three, was killed in Shekhogay village for her alleged illicit relation with another person. Police registered an FIR and started investigation.