LANDI KOTAL: Khyber Agency Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah has asked the elders of Kukikhel tribe to stop suspected terrorists from re-establishing their foothold on their soil as security forces have successfully uprooted them from most parts of Khyber Agency during the recent military operations.

Addressing a jirga at Jamrud tehsil offices, he said that most of the leaders of the banned militant groups took refuge in Afghanistanafter security forces achieved successes in Tirah, Bara and Jamrud.

He said that they were looking for an opportunity to return to their homeland as they were also on the run in Afghanistan.

`Relative peace has been established in Khyber Agency and terrorist activities have been controlled,` said Mr Shah. He added that it was turn of local tribal elders to take bold and courageous decisions to curb the menace of extremism in the region.

The ofHcial also asked the Kukikhel elders to refuse providing residential facility to unregistered Afghan nationals and hand over wanted suspects to the local administration before expiry of the last date for their voluntary surrender.

Mr Shah told the jirga that in order to keep a strict vigil on the movement of Afghans enteringPakistan, a process of issuing them one-time permit was launched at Torkham border with the help of NationalDatabaseandRegistration Authority. He hoped that the new system would help in keeping an updated data of all Afghans, who aspired to enterPakistan.

The ofhcial insisted that strengthening of local Sareshtha and jirga system would enhance prospects of restoration of lasting peace and economic development in the area.

Responding to Political Agent assertions, a Kukikhel elder Malak Faizullah Jan questioned as to why the political administration was registering new Afghans when they were asked to refuse providing them shelter in Jamrud.

He demanded that the registration of Afghans should be immediately stopped and they should beexpelled. `We will not allow at any cost that our soil is used for antistate activities by the enemies of Pakistan. We will bring the activities of all such elements immediately in the notice of local administration and security forces,` he said.

The Kukikhel elder told the political agent that a group of elders were in constant contact with relatives of some suspected militants. He hoped that `a good number` of them would soon be handed over to the administration.

The elder demanded of the political agent to expedite work on the much awaited Jamrud grid station, provide facilities to jamrud civil hospital and health centre in Ali Masjid, open more schools for girls and take disciplinary action against absentee teachers of government schools.