S Waziristan administration orders reopening of Gomal Zam Road

Wana Bazaar curfew to be relaxed but motorcycles, vehicles yet to be allowed.

WANA: South Waziristan police administration has ordered the reopening of Gomal Zam Road, which was blocked following an attack at the Aman check-post in Wana Bazaar.

Members of the Ahmadzai tribe were barred from using the road, which connects Wana to Dera Ismail Khan, after the attack that had killed one security official and injured three others.

A senior official of the political administration told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that on Thursday, a jirga was held between the political administration, tribal elders and clerics of the Ahmadzai tribe at the Wana Scouts Camp where a decision was reached on the issue.

Due to a ban on the tribesmen use of the road, they were forced to take a four-hour detour via Zhob in Balochistan to get to DI Khan. The journey through Gomal Zam costs Rs400, while that from Zhob takes 11 hours and costs a minimum of Rs1,500.

“The administration also told the jirga members that the curfew will be relaxed from 4pm to 8pm, but people will not be allowed to use motorcycles or vehicles for coming to Wana Bazaar. They were also told that the complete curfew will be lifted by the administration,” the official said.

Malik Sher Jan Khan, a local tribal elder, said that they were facing immense problems due to the curfew and closure of the bazaar, adding that students living in far-flung areas were not able to reach schools located in and around the bazaar.

He said that other tribal people were also having trouble reaching government offices. “I’m afraid that some children missed the ongoing polio vaccination drive due to the curfew,” Khan said.

Issues pertaining to law and order in Wana sub-division of South Waziristan were also discussed, but most of them will be discussed in the next jirga due to the transfer of Political Agent Jawed Marwat.

Hanif Baloch arrested

Meanwhile, Dera police claimed that it had arrested Hanif Baloch in Kulachi sub-division on Thursday. He was wanted by police in a suicide attack case on Kulachi Police Station, DSP Salauddin Kundi told The Express Tribune.

He said that Baloch belongs to Kotla Syedan area of the district. The attack was carried out on the police station on June 25, 2011, killing seven policemen and injuring three others. A civilian, who was present at the time inside the police station, was also killed.  Two foreign suicide bombers along with a woman had entered the police station and after hours of fighting, blew themselves up inside the police station.

Baloch and Imran Gandapur were among the nominated persons in the FIR lodged against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code.

Baloch was presented before an anti-terrorism court in DI Khan and sent on judicial remand for further investigation. Gandapur was killed two months ago in an encounter with the district police.