PESHAWAR, June 13: The elders of Safi tribe of Mohmand Agency have expressed grave concern over detention of 170 notables of the region by political administration for not raising armed lashkars against militants in their respective areas.

The notables had been detained for no fault of theirs, members of Mohmand Safi Jirga Jangrez Khan Mohmand, Samiullah Afridi and Fata Lawyers Forum president Ijaz Mohmand told a press conference here on Monday.

“The political administration had convened a meeting of elders on May 2 at Ghalanai to direct them to form anti-Taliban lashkar. But the elders were sent behind the bars when they refused to do so,” they said.

The tribesmen, they said, were forced to obey the orders of administration. They said that administration demolished the houses of those, who didn’t obey its orders.

Mr Ijaz said that the political administration was openly misusing its powers as people were tortured under Frontier Crimes Regulation but they had no right to move a court.

The detention of tribal elders, he said, was clear violation of basic human rights, creating unrest among people.

He said that tribesmen were rendering sacrifices in war against terrorism but the administration was not ready to appreciate them. He demanded amendments in FCR and extension of Political Parties Act to Fata to ease miseries of tribal people.

Mr Ijaz appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari and Governor Barrister Masood Kausar to take notice of illegal detention of 170 innocent tribal elders and order their immediate release.

He also demanded of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other rights organisations to take notice of injustices with tribal people by the political administration.— Bureau Report