LAKKI MARWAT, May 27: Marwat and Bhetanni tribes on Sunday gave the government a week to safely recover kidnapped officials of the local health department. They warned that if the officials were not freed by the deadline, a protest campaign would be launched.

A joint jirga was convened to discuss the kidnapping of Dr Muhammad Ishaq Bhetanni, medical superintendent of the district headquarters hospital Lakki Marwat and Dr Abdul Rehman Marwat, deputy district officer, health. They were kidnapped by gunmen on Saturday.

Nazim of the Tajori Union Council Haji Mohammad Khan, Maulana Asghar Ali and Ajmal Khan attended the jirga from the Marwat tribe’s side, while Malik Sharabat Khan, Gul Muhammad and Masoodur Rehman represented the Bhetanni tribe.

“We have set the deadline and if the law-enforcement agencies fail to secure the officials’ release by the deadline, the jirga will decide what to do next,” Maulana Asghar Ali.

Officials said the kidnapped officials of a mobile phone company had been released. Six employees of Mobilink had been kidnapped near the Kurrum Bridge on the Indus Highway on May 17. Four hours later, their vehicle was recovered from the Gumbati area of the Bannu Frontier Region.