NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Residents of North Waziristan tribal district along with Afghan refugees celebrated Eidul Azha on Saturday when the neighbouring Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries celebrated the religious festival.

While people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will commemorate the great sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) and Hazrat Ismail (A.S.) on Sunday, many of those belonging to a particular sect in pockets of Bara tehsil of Khyber district, Bajaur as well as Mirali, Dattakhel and other parts of North Waziristanoffered Eid prayers on July 9.

Sources said no special prior announcements had been made for Eid prayers, as the region had been traditionally observing Eid festivals along with Saudi Arabia for past several decades.

Locals and Afghans offered Eid prayers in the Darpakhel Eidgah in Miramshah, the residents said, adding that the festival was also observed in Mirali town and surrounding areas and Dattakhel. Besides Eid congregations, many locals slaughtered animals to commemorate the occasion.

Sources in Bara said the main congregation was held in Pakka Tharra locality of the Bar Qambar Khel area, where some 300 to 400 people affiliated with Wahabi sect offered Eid prayers and later many of them slaugh-tered sacrificial animals.

At some small congregations, organised in Akkakhel and Malakdin Khel areas, many followers of Wahabi sect offered Eid prayers.

According to locals in Bajaur district, residents of Salarzai, Mamund and Khar tehsils, including Bilalabad, Inayat killy, Jar Banda, Thangi, Bai Chiana, Manogai, Qazi Dehari and Pashat celebrated the occasion. The residents of Chinar, Asghar, Mango Gai, Nawagai town and several others areas of Nawagal tehsil and Kitkoot, Ghakhi, Nakhatar, Bakaro and Zarl of Lowi Mamund also observed Eidul Azha on Saturday by offering Eid prayers and slaughtering the sacrificial animals. Strict security arrangements were witnessed during the prayers in the areas.