Tribesmen protest suspension of incentives

Tribal elder Ijaz Khan claims the government terms arrest of tribesmen inhumane though its actions prove otherwise.

JAMRUD:

A sub-clan of the Afridi tribe in Jamrud protested against the political administration on Saturday over the suspension of their incentives, along with other facilities.

Incentives of Kukikhel tribesmen from the sub-tribes of Torkhel, Sikandar Khel, Qaroon Khel and Maishak Khel were discontinued under the Collective Responsibility Clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) on March 1 when three improvised explosive devices (IED) went off Lashora area of Jamrud, killing at least 13 security officials and injuring 10 others. The security officials were escorting polio teams in Sur Kamar at the time.

Tribal elder Malik Ismail Torkhel told journalists it is a token protest against the political administration for stopping salaries to the tribal elders, discontinuing issuance of identity cards, domiciles and other incentives until the tribesmen point out and hand over culprits behind the explosions.

Ismail said the incentives have not been restored despite appeals to officials stressing no one from their area was involved in the incident. “Our people are dying and in return we are being arrested under the FCR. Is this justice?” he questioned.

Another tribal elder, Ijaz Khan claimed though the government terms the arrest of tribesmen under the FCR inhumane, its actions prove otherwise. “They don’t want to amend the FCR; they want to keep their policies,” he added.

Khan added despite some of the amendments in the FCR, political administration officials have not yet implemented them in FATA.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2014.