Concerns voiced over illegal detention of tribal people

Tribal students from Mohmand Agency have expressed anguish over the alleged illegal detention of tribal people by Frontier Corps at the behest of Political Administration, and appealed Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo moto notice against it.
Addressing a press conference here at the press club on Monday, central vice president, Fata Students Federation, Shafeeq Ahmad Safi said the political administration and FC have made the lives of tribal people in Mohmand Agency miserable under the draconian law 40th Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR). Flanked by Barhanuddin, president Kurram Agency, and Gul Sattar Mengal, he said that the political administration, assisted by FC, had arrested 175 innocent tribal people of Safi tribe during a Jirga (council meeting) a month ago and detained them in headquarter Galanai of the agency.
Safi informed that most of the arrested tribal people are aged and children, adding that there is no proper facility to meet with them in the prison. He said the parents, whom children were studying in different educational institutions in Peshawar, are also among the detainees. He further said that these parents are much worried about the future of their children.
He further said that FC has locked up in 75 people in a single prison, due to which prisoners are facing enormous food shortage, while the prison is lacking all basic facilities. He alleged that the prison authority is also not allowed to meet with detainees, because of which relatives return disappointed. He demanded the government to immediately release the detained people to save future of the students.
Safi said that tribal people had rendered lot of sacrifices in the creation of the country and protection of its integrity. Tribesmen fought war shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan Army to protect country's long borders. Government's prime obligation is to protect life and property of masses, he indicated. He called for proactive measures for enforcement of lasting peace in the tribal areas, especially Mohmand Agency. He demanded the government to stop 'step-motherly attitude' with them and immediately release arrested tribal people.