Tribal elders, forces reps meet in Jamrud

BARA: The security forces arranged a jirga of tribal elders in Shahkas area of Jamrud tehsil in Khyber Agency.

The officials including Mahsud Scouts Wing Commander of the Frontier Corps Lt Col Abdus Sattar Sulahri, Superintendent of Police Hayatabad Waqar Ahmad, Frontier Constabulary’s Major Esar and elders were present.

Speaking on the occasion, an elder Malik Salim Khan Afridi said that the tribal people had always supported security forces in the prolonged militancy in Khyber Agency.

“We are not terrorists and do not allow terror activities in the area,” he said, adding that the government should not close the entrance and exit points of Hayatabad for people of the nearby Khyber Agency.

Malik Salim added that the paramilitary forces should keep a check on people at the exit and entrance points, on which security personnel should be deployed.

“People of Khyber Agency use the routes between the agency and Peshawar for visiting schools, hospitals and factories,” he said.

Another elder, Daulat Khan, said that the tribal people had rendered tremendous sacrifices against the militants for the sake of state interests.

He said that instead of closing routes between Hayatabad and Khyber Agency, the security forces and paramilitary forces should chalk out a mechanism to keep check on the checkpoints.

Lt Col Abdus Sattar Sulehri said that the tribal people had suffered and lost their business, homes, markets, schools and hospitals in the decade long militancy.

“We do not want the tribespeople to suffer further and be deprived of basic rights,” he said, adding that some miscreants and smugglers have been using the routes to smuggle explosives and arms between Khyber Agency and Peshawar.