Posts Tagged ‘Mohmand’

Militants blast girls school

Ghallanai – Militants blasted a govt run girls primary school with explosives here on Friday. According to details, unidentified militants had planted explosives in govt girls primary school located in Lakrro area, tehsil Sasi of Mohmand Agency which exploded early Friday morning. The school building was partially damaged due to the blast. However, no causality or injury was reported as the …

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Militants blast girls primary school in Mohmand Agency

Anti-literacy militants blasted a government run girls primary school with explosives here in Mohmand Agency on Friday.
According to details, unidentified militants had planted explosives in govt girls primary school located in Lakrro area, tehsil Sasi of Mohmand Agency which exploded on early Friday morning.
The school building was partially damaged due to the blast. However, no causality or …

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Drone attacks: PHC questions accords between Pakistan, US

The petitioner, FM Sabir, a lawyer by profession, filed a writ petition at the PHC challenging the drone strikes. Sabir claims the US air strikes are illegal and unjustified and were killing innocent people, including women and children, in North and South Waziristan.

“If the government has reached an agreement with the US over drone attacks, it should be brought to the notice of the people of Pakistan,” Sabir pleaded to the divisional bench headed by Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan.

“Has any agreement been signed? If yes, what is the expiry date for the agreement?” the chief justice questioned, adding that if the president, prime minister, head of armed forces and ministers are all opposed to drone attacks, what was the reason behind them not being suspended?

Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand also seemed supportive of the petition and was quoted as saying, “we are also against drone strikes as innocent people are being killed.”

He added that the Ministry of Defence has sought time to collect information by contacting the joint staff headquarters regarding any agreement that may have been signed with respect to drone attacks. The Ministry of Interior has also sought time from the court.

Moazzam Butt, counsel for one of the respondents former president Pervez Musharraf, informed the court if any agreement has been signed on the drone strikes, it should be made public.  Butt added that according to article 19(A) of the Constitution, every citizen has the right to information in all matters of public importance.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2012.

Peshawar High Court: K-P directed to publish names of internment camp detainees

The court also expressed concern over the unavailability of the minutes of meetings of the apex committee responsible for the missing persons’ case.

During the hearing on Tuesday, a division bench headed by PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Muftahuddin was informed by Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand that the minutes of the meeting could not be recorded due to the sensitivity of the case.

However, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan appeared unconvinced and said: “It would be more advisable to record the minutes of the committee’s meetings in the future.”

The bench was told that the transfer process of internees to internment centres had picked up pace with the help of security forces and that it would be completed in a couple of weeks.

“Since the detainees are at different locations, their data is being collected and compiled. It will hardly take two weeks to collect all the data and transfer the people to internment centres,” Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand said.

Justice Khan, however, questioned why everyone was being shifted collectively and asked for the records to be handed to the home secretary and the provincial police inspector general. “Why not shift them on a weekly basis? There should be an internment order for each and every individual.”

Justice Khan added that “keeping in mind the agony and mental torture the relatives of these people have suffered, the KP government is directed to publish the names of the detainees so their families know that they are alive.”

He ordered that the relatives of the internees be allowed to meet them after proper documentation as under the provision of the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation, 2011.

Separate cases

PCH has asked political agent of Khyber, assistant political agent of Jamrud, naib tehsildar of Mullagori, and line officers of Mulagori and Jamrud, to submit a written reply after Additional Advocate General Durrani informed the court that all the respondents denied having picked up Inayatullah, a resident of Warsak village.

Amin-ur-Rehman, the counsel for Fazl-e-Ghani, petitioner and brother of the detained, informed the court that Inayatullah was picked up in a raid along with four other people, including Fazl-e-Ghani. However, the others were released whereas Inayatullah still remained in custody.

According to the petition, the five people were blindfolded and shifted to Michni Rest House in Mohmand agency.

In another case, the counsel representing the three detained people said the detainees could identify the people who came to pick them up from a hotel, alleging that one of them was an SHO of the area.

According to the petition, Abdul Wahab, Shah Muhammad and Muhammad Islam, residents of the Ghaljo village in Orakzai Agency, came to Peshawar on December 10, 2011. They were staying at a local hotel when they were picked up and forced to call Abdul Wahab’s father Gulmat Shah, asking him to come to the Lady Reading Hospital.

Upon reaching the hospital, Gulmat Shah was also picked up and shifted to an undisclosed location.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2012.

Cross-border attack kills five soldiers

PESHAWAR  – Dozens of Taliban militants coming from Afghanistan attacked a Pakistani paramilitary checkpoint overnight, sparking clashes that left at least five soldiers and up to 15 militants dead, officials said Monday.
The attack in Mohmand tribal region, near the Afghan border, was beaten off when troops responded with artillery and heavy weapons, according to a spokesman for the …

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Four soldiers martyred in insurgents attack at Olai Check-post in Mohmand Agency

Dozens of Taliban fighters armed with latest weapons stormed Olai Check-post of the security forces near Salala area of teshil Bazai in Mohmand Agency on Monday, killing four security forces personnel while seven others went missing.
Official sources said that as the spring offensive has been kicked off in rugged regions of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, dozens of insurgents armed with automatic …

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PHC missing persons case: ‘TB patient must be proved medically fit for jail’

In the last hearing, PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan had ordered Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand to shift Sartaj, a resident of militancy-hit Mohmand Agency, to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital after his illness surfaced.Sartaj is a close relative of a Taliban commander from Mohmand Agency Qari Shakeel, according to a Frontier Corps official. “He was treated for eight months and can be moved to an internment center,” Major Iqbal said.

However, the chief justice said that a certificate must be produced before the court to prove that Sartaj was healthy enough to be shifted back to Ghalanai.

The ministries of defence and interior have both denied picking up Sartaj and the hospital’s records show that he was brought to the hospital by FC personnel on February 19.

A ray of hope appeared in the PHC when a previously missing person, Akbar Khan, a resident of Buner District, was produced before the court. Khan had disappeared along with his friend Fazle Karim, who is still missing.

“Sir, I was working in Karachi but left for my village due to the deteriorating law and order situation over there. I went to Mohmand Agency to attend a friend’s wedding and was picked up while I was returning home,” Khan told the court. He said he was blindfolded and could not identify his kidnappers.

Mohmand informed the court that both the ministries of defence and interior deny having picked up Karim. The court issued notices to the ministries to inform the court on the whereabouts of Karim.

In another missing persons case, the counsel for Kemya Khan, Abdul Aziz and Rahim Shah informed the court that Khan had reached home while Aziz and Shah were still missing. Mohmand sought time from the court to discuss the cases with security agencies.

Meanwhile, hearing another petition, the chief justice ordered Mohmand to inquire and find out the whereabouts of Firdous, a resident of Michni area of Mohmand Agency. “My son went missing last year. If he is involved in a crime, punish him but just inform me whether or not he is alive,” Firdous’ mother said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2012.

Immunisation drive: Villagers bar polio teams from Charsadda

After warnings from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and President Asif Ali Zardari, the anti-polio teams reached the villages after a gap of five years. Dr Ziaul Habib, a resident of the area, told The Express Tribune that 22 teams of medical personnel started the campaign after five years, but were asked to leave in several areas. The locals insisted that since they were a part of Mohmand Agency, they would only allow teams from there to vaccinate their children.

Bashir Khan, coordinator for the polio campaign in Mohmand Agency, added that Haleemzai and Tarakzai tribes were part of the agency, but the provincial government merged them with Charasadda while these tribes still considered themselves to be part of the tribal agency. A total of 13 cases of polio were reported in the agency in 2010, which had been declared a polio-free zone in 2002.

Nisar Mohmand, an Awami National Party leader from the area, said, “We belong to Mohmand Agency. If we do not belong to the agency, then why was the Mohmand political administration seeking land for the construction of a Levies Fort in the area.” He mentioned that nearly 6,000 children remained deprived of the vaccination due to the dispute.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2012.

Inside Khyber Agency – V: Lashkar-e-Islam promised justice, delivered violence

Members of the banned outfit are unapologetic and uncompromising in their outlook. “We believe in terrorism and instilling fear in the hearts of the unbelievers and those Muslims who do not follow the true Islamic way of life,” says Omar, an LeI spokesperson, from an undisclosed location in Khyber Agency.

The rise of this armed militia did not happen overnight. A mixture of sectarian violence, control over key smuggling routes and an unfair system of justice gave the initial impetus to LeI.

Omar boasts that they have support beyond the tribal belt: from Peshawar through to Punjab. He says he just came back from the troubled area of Tirah. Mangal Bagh, the group’s leader, was reportedly killed in a suicide attack there earlier this month. According to Omar, the news is false. “Our opponents are spreading rumours about our leadership but I can assure you that he is alive,” he says.

Locals say the first sign of trouble started in 2004, when Mufti Munir Shakir, a cleric from Kurram Agency, came to settle in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency after being thrown out of his hometown for inciting sectarian hatred. His arrival in Khyber Agency went unnoticed at first.

He then launched a local radio station and again started gathering supporters under his hard-line interpretation of Islam. This time his target was a Barelvi religious scholar, Pir Saifur Rehman, who had migrated from Afghanistan in the 1980s and now lived in Khyber Agency, running a seminary. After a series of violent clashes between the two groups, in 2006 a Jirga was convened which decided to expel both clerics. While Pir Saifur Rehman abided by the decision, Mufti Munir Shakir at first resisted the expulsion but was forced to leave by locals. He made Mangal Bagh, then a local transporter, his successor in the armed militia which came to be known as Lashkar-e-Islam.

With Mangal Bagh in power, many residents of Khyber Agency thought life would change for the better. “At first we supported Mangal Bagh because he was a local and was helping ensure justice for common people,” says Shah Jahan, a resident of Bara, a former LeI stronghold. “But then he started killing those who opposed their version of Islam, including some of my family members,” he alleges.

Many like Shah Jahan fled the area in fear. When asked, the LeI spokesperson said that, except for those who follow their strict interpretation of Islam, all others are not proper Muslims and should not be spared. This, he said, is the true spirit of shariah, which his movement wants to implement all over Pakistan.

The LeI has now lost most of this local support, but analysts feel that the movement was supported by locals at first because it talked about delivering justice.

“The LeI introduced itself as a reformist movement initially and wanted a uniform Islamic system based on Deobandi ideology,” says Rustum Shah Mohmand, a former political agent from the tribal belt. He also alleges that local authorities, instead of dealing with them head on to re-establish the writ of the state, started to support another armed force in the area, known as Ansarul Islam. “After that strategy failed, an operation was launched, but forces have been unable to control the area for four years because it did not contain it in the beginning which it should have,” he complains.

A military official who looks after intelligence affairs in Fata says that Khyber Agency has been virtually occupied by smugglers. “The LeI has taken control of those routes to generate funds for themselves,” he says.

Interestingly everyone, including the military and tribal elders, say the solution to the conflict is through talks. Even the LeI feels the same, but Omar, their representative, says certain elements are not letting talks happen. “The government is lying since it tells us one thing and tells the public another.”

For the intelligence officer, the situation is still hugely challenging, but an end is in sight. “It will take a few years more before we gain full control but we believe Khyber Agency is the last battlefield,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2012.

2007 peace treaty to remain intact: Mullah Nazir group

The forces killed some 40 militants on Saturday – the first day of the operation – mostly those who had returned to South Waziristan under a deal with the Mullah Nazir group.

Six children were reported injured in the ongoing operation on Sunday.

An Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said that 35-40 militants were killed in the operation with the help of Mehsud and Wazir tribesmen. Some of the militants were behind attacking security personnel in Balochistan.

In separate incidents across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Khyber agency, a tribal elder was shot dead, two children died in a bomb blast, while a telecom tower was blown up. Moreover, three people went missing in Tank.

Hospital staff told The Express Tribune that the children who suffered injuries were Sajad Khan, Sikandar Khan, Aeysha, Surayya, Ana Adil and Nawal Khan.

An Afghan citizen named Gulab Khan was also killed in the crossfire. A tribal elder told The Express Tribune that Khan was travelling in his car when a shell hit the vehicle.

The local Ahmadzai tribe fears that the 2007 peace agreement between the government and the group might collapse.

Local sources told The Express Tribune that a few months ago Mullah Nazir signed a secret agreement with Maulvi Abbas, Noor Islam and Javed of Amarzai tribe allowing them to reside in Wana.

The ISPR statement said that militants were using women and children as a shield. Four security personnel lost their lives in the almost eight-hour operation as forces attempted to minimise collateral damage.

Tribal elder shot dead

A tribal elder of Mohmand Agency was killed along with three of his family members on Sunday morning in the Shero Jangi area.

Malik Jan Muhammad, a ‘Gur’ dealer, was going to his office located in Gur Mandi early morning when his vehicle was ambushed by armed men, police said.

“Of the five people in the car, four died on the spot and one sustained serious injuries, while the attackers escaped the scene,” stated Deputy Superintendent of Police-Rural Riazul Islam while talking to The Express Tribune.

The deceased included Akhtar Munir, Ikram and Jehanzeb while the injured man was identified as Shehzad.

Muhammad was a businessman and an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Two children die in blast

An explosive device went off in Dargai tehsil of Malakand on Sunday, killing two children and injuring one person.

“The cause of the incident was the explosives used for mining in the area,” a resident said. He said such blasts are common in the area as people keep explosive material at homes and also use them in the mountains.

Telecom tower blown up

A general store and a telecommunication tower of a cellular company were blown up in Shabqadar, police said. The blast occurred at grocery store in Aisha Kor village but there was no fatality,” said a policeman.

3 persons missing in Tank

In Tank, gunmen kidnapped a man from his home after injuring his father.

Ghulam Ghani told Cantonment Police that he sustained injuries as the gunmen stormed his house early in the morning and also kidnapped his son Mukhtar Khan Bittani.

(With additional reporting by our correspondents in DARGAI/TANK/SHABQADAR)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2012.

NATO supplies: DPC warns against reopening routes

The leadership of the council met in Peshawar against the backdrop of the upcoming joint session of Parliament which is due to discuss new terms of engagement with the United States. The council went as far as to threaten lawmakers, saying they would call their supporters to besiege the homes of parliamentarians if they voted for the lifting of the Nato blockade.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, DPC Chairman Maulana Samiul Haq said that due to sensitivity of the issue, a referendum, instead of Parliament’s joint session, would be ideal to resolve the matter and also hinted at the possibility of approaching the General Headquarters (GHQ) to discuss security issues.

He went on to add that the emergency meeting was called to address the likely reopening of Nato routes after the Parliamentary Committee on National Security’s (PNCA) recommendations are heard during the joint session of Parliament.

“We warn the Parliament to avoid taking any decision against national interest,” he said, adding that the council had decided to meet parliamentary leaders of various political parties to convince them against lifting the almost four-month-long blockade.

“DPC rejects any decision to open Nato supply routes in advance and wants to convey to the government that we will not allow her to take any decision inimical to our national interests and in favour of America,” Haq said.

President’s speech

The chairman criticised President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to parliament on Saturday, saying the president had failed to utter a word about the Kashmir issue. Haq went on to add that the DPC would continue to support the Kashmiri struggle and that a DPC conference would be held in Muzaffarabad soon.

Haq said Pakistan’s religious and political parties stood with the Baloch people and that Baloch separatists were being patronised by foreign countries. He also announced public gatherings in Peshawar and Quetta on April 15 and April 26, respectively. The meeting was also attended by General (retd) Hamid Gul, Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat president Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2012.

70% ‘missing’ persons will be identified and set free: PHC

“The matter has seriously been considered,” said the PHC chief justice while hearing the missing persons’ cases.

Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, who was heading the divisional bench with Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, said that the authorities have also been considering the court’s earlier suggestion to take over 15 ‘test cases’ of detained persons.

The chief justice said that the court wanted the terrorists to be tried and punished if found guilty but due process should be applied and the accused should be dealt with in accordance with the law and Constitution.

During the hearing, Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand informed the court that the interior and defence ministries denied picking up two brothers – Sufaid and Zahid, residents of Mardan – on January 21, 2010.

“They are lying. How long are we going to tolerate it? Things are going out of control,” Justice Dost Muhammad responded.

The brothers were arrested on December 29, 2010 under section 389 of the PPC. Zahid, who was later released, had informed his father that SHO Nihar Ali Khan had picked them up from the gate of the district jail, Mardan just after they were released. The court summoned SHO Nihar, as well as Zahid.

“Nihar should be urgently summoned to the court through all possible means and Zahid be produced before the court to identify him,” the chief justice ordered.

The defence and interior ministries also denied picking up one Shah Khan, a resident of Mandani who went missing in 2010. Justice Dost Muhammad ordered the registration of an FIR under sections 342, 365 and section 7 of the ATA at Mandani Police Station in Charsadda.

“We have conducted a survey and have come to know that the police and a few others have set up detention centres and do not want to disclose it,” the chief justice said.

Justice Dost Muhammad further directed the deputy attorney general to tell the Political Agents (PA) in Khyber and Mohmand Agencies that the court has received some negative reports about them, which are highly sensitive.

Meanwhile, one Muhammad Hussain, who was missing from the Bakhshi Pul area for 13 months, had returned home. A petition for his case was filed in the PHC by his uncle, Mohammad Din.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2012.

Enforced disappearances: Authorities mull giving 15 ‘test cases’ to court

“I have been informed that the PHC’s suggestions have received a positive response by the authorities,” said PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, while heading a divisional bench with Justice Fasihul Mulk, during the hearing of missing persons’ cases on Tuesday.

Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand informed the court that authorities have also been discussing handing over 15 test cases of missing persons to be investigated by the PHC – as the high court had earlier suggested – and added that minutes of the apex committee meeting, held to discuss the issue of missing persons, will also be handed over to the chief justice in his chambers.

“The home secretary and tribal affairs secretary have informed me that minutes of the meeting will be presented before the chief justice in his chambers, not in open court due to its sensitive nature,” Mohmand informed the court.

Hearing a petition filed on behalf of Mir Muhammad Arshad, the PHC has summoned assistant political agent of the Bara tehsil, Khyber Agency when Arshad’s brother, Sarfaraz Ali, revealed that he met his brother inside a lockup at the office of the political agent.

In his recorded statement, Ali stated: “I met Arshad on February 28, 2012 at the office the political agent of the Khyber Agency where he was detained along with a number of other people. He told me that he had seen the open sky after three years,” said Ali, adding he was unable to meet his brother again when employers at the office informed him that his brother has been shifted to another location for further investigation.

“In view of the latest disclosure of the brother of the detained person recorded on oath, the assistant political agent of Bara is directed to appear in person along with original records of the detainees and the complete prisoners list,” the chief justice demanded.

Ali – whose brother was a sanitary worker – alleged that police personnel picked Arshad up within the jurisdiction of the Kabuli Police Station in January 2009, when he received a call from one of his clients to meet him and receive his payment.

Case two

In another case, the deputy attorney general said both the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior have denied picking up Tayef, a resident of Darra Adam Khel. He further informed the court that his brother, Arif, who was also arrested, has been shifted to the internment centre in Kohat.

“You deny picking up people but after a few days you say, the person has been shifted to an internment centre. From now on, we will not trust your statements,” remarked Justice Fasihul Mulk.

Case three

The chief justice then issued notices to the deputy attorney general, the commanding officer of Malakand Fort and the in-charge of the internment centre when counsel for Shoukat Ali asked the court to inquire whether Shoukat had been shifted to the internment centre in Malakand. His counsel said that Shoukat’s name was found the list of the persons being shifted to an internment centre.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2012.

Fighting militancy in Mohmand: Peace committees plagued by threats, power politics

The success of these committees, however, has been questionable. They were formed following a military operation in the area against militants from 2009 to 2011, and have subsequently been the target of much violence.  Dozens of committee leaders and volunteers have been killed over the last few years.

Two leaders of the Khwaizai committee (one of eight such committees in Mohmand), Malik Ajmal and Akbar, have been killed, while the brothers of the leaders of the Safi and Qandaro committees have also fallen victim to the militants.

The fear created by this insecurity has started to affect public participation in these committees. Most people have already migrated from the violence-stricken areas where the committees operate, so most leaders now hire paid volunteers from areas outside Mohmand Agency.

Volunteers of the peace committees told The Express Tribune that their lives were always at risk. “Most of our leaders have been killed by militants in various parts of the country. That is why we use weapons for our safety even in settled areas,” one of the volunteers said.

When contacted, Mohammad Ali, who heads the Haleemzai committee, said that they had come under attack thrice. He added that the government was paying salaries to around 60 to 70 volunteers of the committee apart from ammunition and other funds. Ali said the peacekeeping body had been established with the consensus of the local people.

Other committees, however, are less lucky. Members of the Safi, Khwaizai and Baizai committees were unaware of the whereabouts of their leaders, who had moved to the Mohmand Agency headquarters in Ghallanai due to fear of attacks.

Rogue committees

The problems that plague the Aman committees, however, involve internal issues and not just external threats. A local journalist said on condition of anonymity that the heads of committees in the Khwaizai and Baizai subdivisions, located close to the Pak-Afghan border, had taken on the roles of warlords in their areas. He added that in some areas, the leaders were even found collecting illegal taxes from the traders going across the border into Afghanistan.

A local source told The Express Tribune that volunteers of some committees have even been forced by leaders to shift to troubled areas where the committees were operating, from safer areas. “They are under constant criticism from people for their warlord-like behaviour,” he added.

Another side of the story

Lower Sub-Divisional Political Officer Rehan, on the other hand, told The Express Tribune that the peace Lashkars (different from the committees) in the divisions of Ambar and Prang Ghar subdivisions were performing their duties satisfactorily. He added that political authorities were facilitating volunteers by paying them salaries and providing them ammunition and other necessities. “These two Lashkars comprise local people and we are satisfied with their peacekeeping efforts,” he said.

Earlier in 2010, a large number of volunteers from the Aman Lashkars of Ambar and Prang Ghar along with their leaders were killed in a blast in the Yakaghund division.

The eight committees in Mohmand include Safi, Khwaizai, Baizai and Haleemzai. The rest are subcommittees: Qandaro, Alingar, Dawezai and Tamanzai.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2012.

Mohmand Agency: 89 schools, colleges lost to militancy in three years

GHALLANAI: A hotbed of militancy and violence, Mohmand Agency has seen a massive loss of life over the last few years. And in addition to the atmosphere of fear that this law and order situation creates, it has also directly hampered vital efforts to boost education in the region.

Over the last three years, 89 educational institutions have been lost due to militancy and the so-called ‘War on Terror’, according to data obtained from the Fata education department. The money required for their reconstruction amounts to approximately Rs436.5 million.

The destruction of these institutions has affected the education of around 10,000 students, male and female.

In Mohmand, the area which suffered the most violence was the Safi subdivision, where 47 educational institutions were destroyed.  In the Khwezai and Baizai subdivisions, 18 schools were destroyed, while 11 schools were obliterated in the Ambar subdivision of lower Mohmand Agency, six in Pindyali and four in Ekkaghund.

In the agency’s headquarters, Ghallanai, only two schools have been destroyed. In Prang Ghar subdivision, one school was destroyed, and this was due to the 2010 flood.

Difficult circumstances

Contradictory claims also emerge as to how much reconstruction has actually taken place. While many NGOs claim that they have carried out substantive work in the area, the agency’s education department says that only a few tents have been provided by these organisations. These remain scarce, resulting in students studying in the open in harsh conditions, whether it’s summer or winter.

A teacher from the Safi subdivision told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that in spite of the attacks that had already taken place on schools and colleges, security measures had not been improved. Many of these teachers have received death threats. Landmines in the area were also a security threat. It was also difficult to find non-locals to teach in the schools, since residents were unwilling to let them stay in the locality because of the danger they posed as targets of violence.

There is more evidence that there is little support from the federal or local government for these besieged educational institutions. One community school teacher named Khanadan said that in the Baizai subdivision and other areas, many teachers had not been paid for the last six months.

Most of these teachers are instructing almost-empty classrooms. A resident of Lakhkar Kallay said most of the residents of his village had migrated from the area due to the poor law and order situation.

Government’s attempts

Agency Education Officer Said Mohmand, however, had another story to tell about the agency’s efforts to put education back on track. He said the department was trying its best to provide basic amenities to the schools.

He also said there were several inaccessible areas in the agency where infrastructure had been destroyed, and the teachers, particularly the female teachers, had no alternative arrangements to stay there, as they used to live at the houses of local chieftainsor in small house extensions.

Assistant Education Officer of the Safi and Baizai subdivisions, Dast Ali, said they were providing flour and oil to the students, particularly in schools for girls, adding that this step helped them increase enrolment.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kausar, while replying to the demand of a tribal Jirga in Ghallanai recently, said that the government was in contact with foreign donors for assistance in the reconstruction activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2012.

Two Afghan police, three insurgents killed in attack

Regional border police spokesman Edris Mohmand says insurgents assaulted the checkpoint in Lalpur district of Nangarhar province Friday.

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Via DAWN.com

Enforced disappearances: Keep militants on a tight leash, says court

During the proceedings of the missing persons’ cases, PHC Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan – while heading a divisional bench with Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth – encouraged the heads of the armed forces at the local level to formulate a strategy for determining the conditions upon which militants of categories B and C could be released by the high court.

He also demanded the implementation of strict measures to ensure that militants do not indulge or become party to militant groups in the future.

The high court recommended keeping a tight leash on the movement of militants of categories B and C to ensure that they do not re-indulge in activities which led to their detention in the first place.

The CJ said that missing persons should remain in close contact with the SHO of the concerned police station and meet their respective authorities on a daily basis.

In another case, the CJ – while hearing a writ petition submitted on behalf of Syed Nazim, a student who went missing along with another student Ejaz from the Khyber Agency – issued notices to the officials of the Khyber Agency and Fata secretariat for failing to provide security to the tribesmen.

Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand informed the court that both the defence and interior ministries denied having picked up the boys. This is in contrast with what the agency’s executive district officer and a school principal said in their earlier replies, as they had claimed that both the detainees were picked up by security agencies.

“Security agencies have undoubtedly offered countless sacrifices to safeguard the homeland but we are bound to follow the law,” Justice Khan said. “In the presence of such strong evidence, denial is unbelievable.”

The CJ issued notices to the additional chief Secretary of the home department and  secretary Fata to submit a comprehensive reply in this regard.

Meanwhile, one of the missing persons, Sher Ali – resident of Sangota area in Swat – who was allegedly picked up by security agencies, reached home and appeared before the court. However, his brother, Akhtar Ali, is still missing.

Sher Ali informed the court that he was unaware of who picked him up as he was blindfolded but was released from Pythom, an internment centre in Guli Bagh area of Swat.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2012.