PESHAWAR: Therepresentatives of Shinwari tribe on Thursday protested the `interference` of the local political administration in the affairs of a taxi stand in Torkham.

Holding banners and placards, they gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club and Governor`s House and demanded the immediate implementation of the decision made by 15-member committee on the taxi stand contract issue.

The protesters complained the political tehsildar of Landi Kotal was interfering in the matter at the behest of a localelder.

They warned they would demonstrate outside parliament and stage a sit-in there if their grievances weren`t addressed.

A protester, Sifat Gul, told reporters that Malik Shafiullah and administration officials were connived to decrease the bus stand contract fee without taking stand owners into confidence.

He said the taxi stand was jointly owned by the Khugakhel, a sub clan of Shinwari tribe, and that the revenue generated by the bus stand was equally distributed among the sub clan of Shinwari tribe.

He added that every year the stand was given on contractual basis for a year.The protester said the dispute arose after the contractor didn`t pay the due money to the tribal people on the pretext that the closures of Torkham border had caused him heavy losses and therefore, he couldn`t `afford` the Rs11.5 million contract.

He said the political administration haddecreasedthecontractfeethough the officials had nothing to do with it as it was the property of Shinwari tribe, which had to take a decision about it.`The agreement is very clear. Under it, the contractor is supposed to return the contract to Shinwari tribe in case of continuous loss for 10 days,` Sifat Gul said.

He said a 15-member committee of local elders had taken a decision on the matter but the administration didn`t take it seriously.

The elder said the contract was unacceptable to the tribe and therefore, the contractor should reimburse the money to Khugakhel tribesmen.