LANDI KOTAL, June 7: An official of the communications and works department, Jamrud division, who was abducted during field work near Shin Tang Ali Masjid area in the Khyber Agency on Thursday, was recovered by the political administration through a Jirga the same night.

Sub-engineer Shafaatullah, accompanied by a contractor, Nadir Khan Torkhel, and his son Wilayat Khan, was inspecting the construction work on Ali Masjid-Choora road when some tribesmen of the Abdalkhel Umarkhel area abducted him at gunpoint. The Jamrud line officer reported the matter to the administration.

According to a statement, political officials in Jamrud discussed the matter with the Khyber political agent and a raiding party, consisting of 150 personnel of Khasadar force, was constituted to recover the official and arrest the accused, identified as Abdur Rauf Abdalkhel and others.

A Jirga of the Kukikhel tribe was also formed and sent to the accused with the direction to set free the official unconditionally.

The Jirga succeeded in securing the release of the kidnapped official at around 10.30pm.

The political administration was put on high alert to avert any law and order situation.

The accused was reportedly demanding the release of his brother, Umer  Sher, and cousin, Nokar Khan, arrested by the Landi Kotal political Tehsildar over a report of snatching a truck from one Aurangzeb.

According to the statement, the kidnapped sub-engineer had not approached the political administration to take along Khasadar escort for conducting survey in the far-flung area.

The administration has decided to serve a notice on the Umerkhel section of the Abdalkhel Kukikhel tribe under collective/ territorial responsibility to hand over the accused under Section 21/22-FCR (Frontier Crime Regulation).

ARMS DISPLAY: Arms and ammunition dealers of Wazir Dhand area in Jamrud have assured the political administration that they will not put on display weapons in their shops and showrooms and that they will refrain from test firing the weapons in the markets.