PESHAWAR, Aug 16: The anti-Taliban peace committees in Mohmand Agency have ended cooperation with administration for what they call the indifferent attitude of the political agent of the tribal region.

The tribal elders and leaders of peace committees told a press conference here on Thursday that they would chalk out the future line of action after Eidul Fitr if government did not accept their demands.

They said that political administration abandoned the peace bodies and forced them to stop cooperation with the law enforcement agencies. They blamed Mohmand political agent for lack of coordination between the volunteers of peace bodies and government.

Haji Azim, chief of Mohmand Peace Committee, told the press conference that peace bodies had been active in the tribal region against anti-state elements since 2008. Since then residents of almost every village of the tribal region had been killed and injured in sabotage acts and shelling by security forces, he added.

Flanked by other elders including Hazrat Noor, Wazir Mohammad Safi, Haji Subedar, Malik Mukhtiar, Khan Wali and Malik Sarwar, he said that in the past volunteers of peace bodies and administration maintained close coordination against militants but now there was no contact between them.

“Now the political administration is least bothered to supervise the anti-militants bodies and that’s why we have boycotted all government functions and stopped to cooperate with law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Mr Azim said that leaders of all peace bodies would meet after Eidul Fitr to devise a strategy. Peace bodies in rest of the Fata regions would also stop anti-Taliban activities if government failed to accept their demands, he said.

“One of our main demands is replacement of the political agent and his staff because they have closed doors of their offices on the tribal elders. They are not ready to cooperate with tribal elders against militants,” he said.

The tribal elder said that salaries of 1,700 khasadars were not paid to peace volunteers. He alleged that the amount was embezzled by political administration.

Mr Azim said that peace bodies were formed on the instructions of administration but now the volunteers had to buy arms and ammunition for themselves besides offering sacrifices of their lives but the government was no realising it.

He said that tribal people were fighting the war of the country as they were protecting the Pak-Afghan border at the cost of their lives but government was not ready to appreciate their services.

Mr Azim said that Mohmand tribal region was very sensitive due to its strategic location. He said that militants could take action anytime in the region. Two women and a man were slaughtered on Wednesday for the only reason that they had givenwater to the personnel of Frontier Constabulary during Ramazan, he added.

The tribal elder said that administration was using tribesmen for its personal interests and ignoring their sacrifices. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar should take notice of the situation and replace Mohmand politicalagent to restore confidence of tribal people.