WANA, Sept 26: A bomb explosion rocked Wana on Sunday shortly before the tribal people resumed business activities in the dusty bazaar after more than three-month-long economic sanctions were lifted.

Eyewitnesses said that a paramilitary soldier and a passer by were wounded in the bomb explosion. The explosive device went off in Tawakal market, here at 11am when shopkeepers were about to open their shops, they said.

The wounded were shifted to the local hospital. The explosion created panic among the people. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz announced lifting of economic blockades against the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe at a tribal jirga in Peshawar on Saturday.

Under section 21 of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) the government imposed sanctions against the Ahmadzai Wazirs on June 12 to punish the tribesmen for failing to capture foreign and local suspects.

After invoking section 21 of the FCR about 6,000 shops were closed in the bazaar, while authorities also imposed ban on the export of fruits and vegetables from the volatile region.

The authorities demolished houses, impounded vehicles of the Wazir tribe and arrested scores of tribesmen. The sanctions brought economic activities to standstill in the area where majority of the population live below the poverty line.

Before opening of shops, the authorities called a jirga of the tribal elders in Wana on Sunday morning. After the jirga Assistant Political Agent Khan Bakhsh announced the opening of the bazaar.

Witnesses said that despite the announcement there was no rush in the bazaar as tension loomed large in the town. They said that though the local people welcomed the decision, they feared re-imposition of the sanctions as main issues had yet to be resolved.