KOHAT: The tribesmen of Orakzai Agency kidnapped eight people from Ublan Afghan refugee camp of Kohat for trespassing on their area on Wednesday.
Police said that the kidnapped persons had entered the area of Bezote tribe of Orakzai Agency to collect stones for construction of houses. Four of the kidnapped men were identified as Basharullah, Qismatullah, Sawab Khan and Raeed Khan. The names of remaining four men could not be ascertained.
The Bezote tribe had banned entry of shepherds and labourers for taking soil, stones and wood from their area. The eight men, who had a tractor trolley with them, were collecting stones when the tribesmen took them away. The tractor was found abandoned.
The dispute between the people of Kohat and Bezote tribe over the land erupted in 1971 when the Orakzai Agency was established. Both sides used to kidnap each other’s men.
The administration intervened in the past to avoid clashes between them but many firing incidents have occurred in the area regardless. The residents of Muhammadzai area of Kohat, who had suffered a lot in the dispute, have been demanding demarcation of the boundary and expulsion of Bezote tribe from the disputed land in Kohat.
ARREST: Police claimed to have arrested two terrorists and recovered explosives and other items used in bomb making during an operation in Doaba area of Hangu on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, police besieged a house in Sarkikhel area of Doaba near the border of Orakzai Agency and asked the terrorist, hiding there, to surrender. But the terrorists opened firing on the police party. After exchange of fire for an hour, the terrorists surrendered, police said. They said that more than three kilograms of explosives, detonators, 13 meter detonating cord, two remote controls, two batteries and a wire cutter were recovered from the house.
MEETING: Kohat Commissioner Jalalud Din has asked the officials to follow the new guidelines issued by the provincial government about transparency in development projects.
He was chairing a meeting in his office here on Wednesday that was attended by deputy commissioners of Kohat, Karak and Hangu besides heads of line departments.
The commissioner said that strict legal and departmental action would be taken against anyone, found involved in corruption. He said traditional relationship between the officials and contractors as it resulted in construction of substandard roads and buildings.The commissioner stressed the need for timely completion of projects to save time and money of the government.
Meanwhile, Kohat Assistant Commissioner Sajjad Khan was attacked when he was demarcating land in Gandiali area for construction of a degree college on Wednesday.
He was accompanied by contractor and revenue staff when the incident occurred. The people, who fired at him, first tried to stop the demarcation process by saying that the land allotted for the college was disputed.
The people opened firing on the survey team when it did not listen to them and started demarcating land for the college. However, the survey team managed to escape unhurt.
Police launched a search operation in the area after the incident to arrest the accused.