Tension after beheading of kidnapped passengers

Saturday,March 28, 2009, Rabi-ul-Awwal 30, 1430 A.H.

PARACHINAR: Thousands of tribals on Friday protested against the beheading of two kidnapped passengers of Turi and Bangash tribes by militants which has created tension in troubled kurram Agency. The mourners present in the funeral procession raised slogans against what they called as "state supported terrorism" against the Turi and Bangash tribes of Kurram Agency beside chanting slogans against the militants. According to details militants beheaded two persons named Javed Hussain and Ali Asghar belonging to Upper Kurram, two of the twelve passengers kidnapped on Feb 23 while travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar at Lower Kurram area near Chapari Check post. It is worth mentioning here that on the same day i.e. Feb 23 a school clerk Ashtar Hussain was also murdered on the spot who tried to resist the militants. After the murder of the school clerk for more than a month the main Parachinar-Peshawar Road remained blocked by the armed militants for the people of Turi and Bangash tribe, which has increased the miseries of common people creating shortage of daily use commodites, food stuff and life saving medicines. After the recovery of the two dead bodies the elders of Turi and Bangash tribes called thier emergency meeting and Tribal Jirga on Friday in which they accused the authorities of state terrorism against the innocent people of Upper Kurram. They said this was the 29th incident of kidnapping and beheading the passengers of Turi and Bangash tribe on main Parachinar-Peshawar Road in bright day light by violating the peace treaty and tribal Jirga ceasefire, but no action had been taken against militants. The elders said majority of these incidents took place a few metres away from the security forces checkposts especially Chapari check post, the last checkpost of Kurram Agency touching down districts. Elders of Turi and Bangash tribe also warned the government and the authorities concerned to punish the militants responsible for this inhuman incident, otherwise they will take revenge according to tribal traditions.