Mahsud elders protest as candidate arrested

TANK: The police on Monday arrested a candidate for NA-42 and PK-109 in South Waziristan tribal district and shifted him to Sararogha.

Malik Saeed Anwar Mahsud, a candidate for NA-42 and PK-109 in South Waziristan tribal district, was coming to Tank from Sararogha to attend a jirga of the elders of Mahsud tribe, which was called to settle the issue of shifting of the polling station.

The elders, who supported Malik Saeed Anwar Mahsud, said that he was their joint candidate and was enjoying the support of all the local people. They said that they had for the first time agreed on a joint candidate.

The elders alleged that a mafia had robbed the Mahsud people for the last two decades and all the funds were wasted.

They also alleged that South Waziristan Upper District Police Officer Malik Habib had arrested Malik Saeed Mahsud because the latter had accused the former of his involvement in certain malpractices.

Meanwhile, the elders and people of all sub-clans of Mahsud tribe launched a protest drive against the arrest of Malik Saeed Mahsud.

The protest sit-ins being held in Sararogha and Tank demanded immediate release of Malik Saeed Mahsud while a jirga of elders also met South Waziristan Upper Deputy Commissioner Ashfaq Khan and informed him of their concern over the arrest of their election candidate.