LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Jan 17: Defying official rules and regulations two religious groups in Bara continued their propaganda campaign against each other on their respective illegal FM radio stations. Political authorities had only a few days back claimed to have confiscated one of the illegally-installed radio stations belonging to the Pir Saifur Rehman group. But sources in Bara told Dawn that both the stations were fully operative and followers of the two groups were engaged in a character-assassination campaign of each other’s leaders.

The Governor’s Secretariat for Tribal Affairs in Peshawar has made it clear through a notification that nobody would be allowed to run a private radio station in tribal areas.

In one of his sermons on the radio station, Mufti Munir Shakir allegedly threatened his opponent, Pir Saifur Rehman, with a suicide attack if he failed to leave Bara, sources said.

The two clerics were demanding each other’s expulsion from Bara on the ground of religious differences.

Political authorities had earlier constituted a jirga of local elders to sort out differences between the two rival groups.

While the jirga failed to make any headway, the Bara administration has reportedly suspended the services of 50 Khasadars belonging to the Malikdinkhel and Siph tribes.

The Malikdinkhel and Sipah tribes were supporting Mufti Munir Shakir, a native of Karak district, and Pir Saifur Rehman, an Afghan refugee, respectively.

The authorities have also withheld salaries of dozens of government employees belonging to the Malikdinkhel and Sipah tribes employed at various government departments.

The action was taken under the collective territorial responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation after the failure of local elders to strike a deal between the rival religious groups. The authorities have also reportedly demanded of the local elders to persuade Mufti Shakir and Pir Rehman to hand over their radio stations.

The situation was further compounded when hundreds of Qamarkhel tribesmen on Monday announced during a public meeting their support for Mufti Shakir and demanded the immediate expulsion of Pir Rehman from Bara. The Qamarkhel elders had threatened not to cooperate with the government if their demand was not accepted immediately.

In his bid to muster more support, Mufti Shakir has announced to hold a public rally in the Bazaar locality of Gagreena village in Landi Kotal tehsil on Jan 20. The region is mostly inhabited by Zakhakhel tribesmen, which is one of the largest Afridi sub-tribes.

Local elders have accused the Khyber Agency political administration for their failure to check the activities of the two clerics who had been fuelling religious hatred among the residents of the region.

The principal, Government Degree College, Kohi-Sher Haider has expressed grave concern over his students’ involvement in the on-going tussle between the groups of Mufti Shakir and Pir Rehman.

In an emergency meeting of staff members, he said that students’ involvement in religious affairs had badly effected the academic environment of his institution and advised parents to make sure that their children did not take sides in the tussle between the two religious groups.