As a protest measure we have decided not to attend jirga meetings called by the political authorities unless concrete steps are taken, says a tribal leader. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
To express their anger over the attack on Levies personnel, which left 21 people dead, tribal elders from Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar boycotted a jirga called by the political administration.
An elder from the Hassan Khel clan said the political administration had mishandled the issue and is directly responsible for the tragic incident. “As a protest measure we have decided not to attend jirga meetings called by the political authorities unless concrete steps are taken. Our first step in this direction was to boycott a high-level meeting held on Monday.”
He added that instead of taking concrete steps for their protection following the kidnapping of 23 people, the government was they were pressurising tribesmen by using the notorious collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation against them.
A political administration official told The Express Tribune that a meeting of tribal elders and maliks had been called on Monday, but they did not attend it for reasons that were not known to officials.
“We decided in a jirga earlier that the only way to deal with the political authorities’ high handedness is to stay away from official meetings. We are committed to making this boycott a real success,” a tribal elder said.
Meanwhile, 60 families from Bazargai and Shamelay villages of Hassan Khel migrated to the settled district following widespread panic in the area.
Policemen injured in grenade attack
In Swabi, three policemen were injured when unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade at them in the crowded Link Road bazaar.
According to Swabi SHO Izhar Shah, four policemen were on a routine patrol in the bazaar at approximately 9am when a hand grenade, thrown from an unknown direction, exploded near them.
He said police rushed to the site and shifted the injured to District Headquarter Hospital, where doctors found their condition to be stable. An FIR has been registered against unknown militants.
Landi Kotal
In a separate attack, a pedestrian was killed and two others were injured in a roadside bomb explosion in Bukarh area of Landikotal.
An official of the Bukarh political administration Saz Muhammad said three unidentified tribesmen were on their way to Bukarh from Shan Khel when a bomb planted by suspected militants was detonated. One tribesman was killed on the spot, while two were injured.
In Bukarh, members of Tauheedul Islam are engaged with militants of Lashkar-e-Islam led by Mangal Bagh Afridi, in efforts to gain control of the area. Most clashes between the two groups are over territorial disputes.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2013.
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