Uthmankhel tribe demands separate agency
Uthmankhel tribe demands separate agency
PESHAWAR: A grand jirga of the Uthmankhel tribe on Monday called for a separate division or an agency for more than one million Utmankhels. More than 500 notables attended the jirga at village Kot in the Malakand region. Participants said the tribe was currently scattered in Bajaur, Mohmand, Dir and Malakand regions leading to impediment in growth of the Utmankhels. Former Kot chairman Haji Muhammad Akbar, along with his hundreds of supporters, joined the Uthmankhel Qaumi Movement (UQM), according to a statement. Despite our loyalty, we have been deprived of basic amenities such as electricity and gas, Muhammad Akbar told the jirga participants. UQM President Haji Shah Wali Khan also accused feudal lords of conspiring to deprive Utmankhels of education and other basis rights. Renowned poet Kamran from Charsadda called for the construction of a road, linking Bajaur to Peshawar, to benefit the Uthmankhels. Zohrab Gul, a former police officer, criticised lawmakers from FATA and Malakand for not doing enough for the welfare of the Utmankhel tribe. Fasihuddin, the patron-in-chief of the tribe, urged unity among the Uthmankhels. Only unity and education can bring you on the right track, he said. staff report
Security forces also detained suspected insurgents each in Kandahar City, the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province and Nawah-ye Barakzai district in Helmand province. They also found several weapons stockpiles throughout Afghanistan.