LANDI KOTAL, Oct 26: The political administration of Khyber Agency  has failed to make any headway in the aeroplane firing case, in which a co-pilot was killed before the election.

The administration in Bara subdivision, soon after the incident, arrested around 20 men belonging to Sipah and Shalober tribes under the collective responsibility rule prevalent in the tribal areas.

The authorities a few days back convened a meeting of elders of the Shalobar and Sipah tribes and asked them to identify the culprits and hand them over to the administration, a formality fulfilled by the administration after such cases.

A Cessna plane was fired at in Bara when it was dropping pamphlets of a candidate during the election campaign. Co-pilot Ahmad Israr received bullet injuries and died on his way to hospital.

An assistant at the office of political Tehsildar, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the authorities could not dare lay their hands on  the culprits.

The tribal areas, he said, were sensitive and nobody could afford to divulge any information to the administration. The assistant political agent of Bara could not be contacted.

Supporters of elected National Assembly member Maulana Khalilur Rehman were initially suspected as the firing took place when his election rally was in progress in he area.