GHALANAI: Local activists of political parties and social welfare organisations and religious leaders held a jirga here on Thursday to record their protest against the arrest of tribesmen and raids on their houses in Ghalanai.

PML-N leader Bahram Khan, PTI leader Sajid Khan, Qari Fazle Khaliq, Mohmand Welfare Organisation president Mir Afzal, Anwar Said of JI, Fazie Hadi of PPP, Maulana Mujahid of JUI-F, Malik Azmat of PML-Q and relatives of the arrested tribesmen said on the occasion that Haleemzai tribesmen had handed over hundreds of wanted men to the administration and security forces from time to time.

They said that the security forces should use female staff during search operation, if that was essential. They complained that activities underway in the area were neither according to the law of FCR nor the Constitution.

They said that peaceful tribesmen should not be compelled to resort to violence as they were against anti-state elements. They demanded that all the arrested persons should be releases immediately.After the jirga, Mohmand Rifles released 17 tribesmen on personal surety. These people were arrested under the collective responsibility law during a search operation in Haleemzai tehsil two weeks ago.

FIRST AID: Mohmand Agency chapter of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society arranged four-day first aid training for Levies and Khasadar forces and local communities of Khwezai tehsil and Baizai here at Ghalanai.

The participants were imparted training of emergency response and first aid. They included 15 Levies personnels and 14 local community members. Providing bandage, giving first aid in case of a heart attack, helping burn victims, shifting the injured to hospital and other first aid methods were taught to the participants by a trainer Mohammad Tariq.

Assistant political agent Zeeshan Abdullah, who was chief guest at the concluding ceremony, underscored the importance of first aid in recent times when the number of incidents had increased.

`This training is very useful for personnel deployed in the conflict-hit areas of the agency,` he said. The APA also distributed training certificates among the participants.