Shops selling arms sealed in Khyber

LANDIKOTAL/JAMRUD: The police and paramilitary troops sealed dozens of shops dealing in small and automatic weapons in Landikotal and Jamrud tehsils in Khyber tribal district here on Tuesday, officials said.

District Police Officer of Khyber Imran Khan told reporters that they had launched a crackdown against the shops selling arms illegally. He said the steps were being taken to maintain peace in the district.

He said they would allow those arms dealers who had proper licenses.

Imran Khan said that the action was taken amid growing target killing incidents and attacks on the security forces and police in recent weeks. He added the action was taken for the safety and security of the general public. He said the shops selling arms in Jamrud, Landikotal and Bara bazaars were sealed. DPO Imran said a total of 285 arms shops were sealed in Khyber district.

He said they would inspect the sealed shops to see if they had weapons of illegal bore including hand-grenades.

The official said after the inspection, the arms dealers having licenses would be allowed to reopen.

On the other hand, the arms dealers told reporters that they were already registered with local administration and the police.

They showed the permits to the media that had been issued to them. They maintained that their shops were sealed without any legal notice.

Meanwhile, shopkeepers and arms dealers staged a protest on the Pak-Afghan highway in Wazirdand and blocked the road for hours to record their protest.

Later, DPO Imran Khan along with station house officers of Jamrud, Landikotal and Bara held talks with the protestors. They were told that nobody would be allowed to run an illegal weapon business.

Station House Officer (SHO) Landikotal Shah Khalid Afridi told this scribe that 69 shops were sealed in Landikotal on the directives of deputy commissioner Khyber.

He said police along with civil administration staff would inspect the sealed shops and will shift the unlicensed weapons to deputy commissioner’s office for further action.

Tribal elders, including Malik Salahuddin Kukikhel, Malik Israr Afridi and Hazrat Wali of Pakistan People’s Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) Syed Kabir Afridi told The News that they condemned the police action against the arms dealers.

They said authorities should issue them licenses to run businesses. They tribal elders and political parties’ leaders threatened to stage a protest and block the Pak-Afghan highway if authorities did not allow the sealed shops to reopen forthwith.