KOHAT, Oct 22: The deadline given to the those involved in selling charas and heroin in Khyber Agency and Darra Adam Khel in frontier region of Kohat to remove signboards from their shops expired on Tuesday without compliance, Dawn has learnt.

The orders to remove the signboards from drug shops in the tribal territories were issued by the NWFP home and tribal affairs department to the respective political agents a fortnight ago. The assistant political agents convened Jirgas and asked the tribesmen to remove the signboards within seven days. They were warned that otherwise the task would be completed through the use of force.

The issue was brought to the notice of the authorities by the anti-narcotics task force complaining that tribesmen openly sold drugs in hundreds of shops and had displayed signboards to attract the potential buyers.

Charas business is legal in the tribal areas subject to payment of  annual fee to the political administration, which issues license to the shopkeepers. Some signboards read: “Yahan acha charas milta hay”, “Aala quality ka heroin dastayab hay” and “Desi aur bahir ka sharab saqikhanay mein dastayab hay.”

The shopkeepers also allegedly sell small weapons, daggers and bullets, displayed in their shops in a clandestine manner, to the commuters with the connivance of the drivers. They also provide services of carriers on huge payment in case the buyers want the delivery down country.

In Darra Adam Khel there are 200 shops, whereas in Bara and Karkhano market in the Khyber Agency, more than 700 wholesale points and shops have been permitted to sell charas.

The Indus Highway passes through Darra Adam Khel and the buses stop there for lunch and dinner.

The hotels adjacent to such shops also provide charas and heroin to the drivers and smugglers.

The business flourished despite presence of Anti-Narcotics Force, customs and police on the exit points of the tribal areas. Some personnel of law enforcement agencies had also allegedly been found selling the seized consignments in the settled areas and using drugs.  

Consumption of charas is not considered as bad as heroin in the area and people use it in small quantity as an anti-depressant.

Darra Adam Khel Tehsildar Fida Mohammad Khan told Dawn on Tuesday that the political authorities had informed a grand Jirga about their decision and if the elders failed to implement the orders, the signboards would be removed with the help of the frontier constabulary.