KHYBER: The elders of Jamrud have expressed grave concerns over the rising incidents of robbery and burglary in different parts of Khyber tribal district.

Talking to journalists on Saturday, Malak Salahuddin Kukikhel said that unemployment of local youth was the main reason for such illegal activities.

He said that a gradual reduction in bilateral trade with Afghanistan since 2018 rendered a large number of local tribesmen, especially youth, jobless.

He said that prior to 2018, the incidents of robbery and theft were minimal while a smaller number of tribesmen were inclined towards various types of drugs as they were mostly employed and financially stable.

`Unfortunately our youth are now finding solace in taking drugs, especially the notorious ice. They are also involved in burglaries, thefts and road robberies owing to unemployment,` said Malak Salahuddin.

Another Kukikhel elder Malak Israr appealed to the government to create employment opportunities along withprovision of loans on easy terms to tribal youth to overcome the problem of unemployment in the region.

He said that trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian States should be enhanced by facilitatinglocal traders so that more employment opportunities could be created for locals.

Meanwhile, Malak Faizullah Jan Kukikhel has demanded of the government to expedite the process of return of displaced Kukikhel families to Rajgal and surrounding areas of Tirah valley.

He said that most of those displaced families were living in different cities and towns of the country in different circumstances as they had little or no sources of income.

He said that militancy and more than 10 years of displacement resulted in complete destruction of the entire social fabric of life in the affected areas. `Our houses, mosques, schools, health centres and roads are destroyed while the natural forests have also been ruthlessly chopped and precious timber smuggled out of most partsof Tirah,`headded.-Correspondent