LANDI KOTAL, July 2: Hundreds of Bara shopkeepers have threatened to march in protest to the Governor’s House, Peshawar, if their shops are not opened in 24 hours.

The political administration had closed down over 100 shops of Sipah tribesmen in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency to press them for the recovery of a customs official and his friend, who were allegedly kidnapped by the tribesmen on June 24, from Yousuf Talaab village in Sipah area of Bara.

Bara authorities, while acting under the rule of collective responsibility imposed in the tribal areas, had closed down the shops owned by Sipah tribesmen and also arrested a man.

The shopkeepers on Tuesday took out a procession demanding the opening of their shops.

A spokesman for the protesters, Haji Taj Mohammad Shah, told Dawn that all the closed shops were not owned by the Sipah tribesmen.

He demanded of the administration to take action against the people responsible and open the shops of innocent persons without any delay as most of these shops had edible items which he feared would expire.

Meanwhile, political authorities in Bara have so far failed to find any clue to customs official Amanullah and his friend Zakria. The administration is in constant touch with a representative of Sipah jirga to help locate the abductors.