SWABI, Nov 28: The elders of five main areas of the district have formed a 50-member jirga against growing incidents of kidnapping for ransom and car-lifting.

The elders of Jhanda, Pajman, Boqa, Maini and Pabini said during a meeting that they had decided to form the jirga against kidnappers and car-lifters when the captors of a minor boy, Shahyan Haris, demanded Rs7 million for his release. The child was later recovered by police.

They said if they remained united no one could pick up their children for ransom.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Dr Zeeshan Raza along with other officials also participated in the meeting and extended support to jirga against criminals.

The elders said that main objective of constitution of jirga was to protect people from the abductors and car-snatchers. They said that decisions made by jirga would be binding on the people. “Anyone found involved in crimes would be expelled from the area,” they added.

However, they said if nature of crime was not serious then the criminals and their families would be excommunicated.

They said that the fate of three arrested kidnappers -- Maqsood Ali, Shahid and Mubarak Shah -- would be decided by the jirga. The participants of the meeting also said that they would approach the elders of Qadra area for taking action against Laiq Khan, as the child was recovered form his house. Laiq Khan and Shahzad, a resident of Totali (Buner), managed to escape during police raid on the house. The elders planned to meet the elders of Totali to arrest Shahzad.

Addressing the meeting, Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, a local leader of PML-N, said that there was dire need of unity among the people and support of the district administration.

Other speakers said that the jirga would work for restoration of peace and help police against criminals.

Meanwhile, elders of the mountainous region of Qadra also held a meeting and asked the family of Laiq Khan to either hand over him to police or leave the area immediately.