LANDI KOTAL: The Khyber Agency political administration has issued notices to more than 100 khasadars, suspected to be absent for a long time, to immediately resume their of ficial duty.

Political Agent Khalid Mehmud told Dawn that inquiries were initiated against more than 100 khasadars for their willful absence from duty for a long time. He said that he was personally supervising the disciplinary action initiated against the absentee khasadars and their services would be terminated if they failed to resume their duty.

The political agent said an extensive `search operation` was in progress to detect not only absentee khasadarbut also the truant employees of health, education, agriculture, irrigation, public health and other departments. `I have been informed that some 300 more khasadars are also missing from their actual posts. We are thoroughly investigating their causes of absence,` he added.

Mr Mehmud said that no leniency would be shown to habitual absentees and strict disciplinary action would be taken if they failed to furnish any genuine reason for absence from their duty.

Sources said that more than 60 Khasadar and Levies personnel were performing their `unofficial` duty outside Khyber House for a long time.

They said that some former officials of the political administration were still keeping those Khasadar and Levies personnel as their personal servants and guards.

Sources said that some former parliamentarians and influential tribal elders had not yet `released` the services of khasadars, who had been deputed with them as security guards.

`Some of these khasadars havebeen serving outside Khyber House for almost a decade while all of them regularly draw their monthly salaries from the Khyber House,` sources told Dawn.

Meanwhile, the political agent suspended nine khasadars including a line officer and his assistant in Jamrud tehsil for their failure to take action against drug dealers at Wazir Dhand Market.

Officials said that a contingent of Khasadar Force from Khyber House raided a number of drug dens and recovered large quantity of contraband, arms and ammunition after the Jamrud line officer and his subordinates failed to curb the illegal business.

The suspended khasadars included line officer Tehsinullah, his assistant Khandad, commander Irfan and seven khasadars.

The political agent also ordered a crackdown on all the narcotics dealers throughout Khyber Agency and directed Khasadar Force to conduct surprise raids where ever they suspected presence of drug dealers and any type of contrabands.