KHYBER AGENCY: For the first time ever in Landi Kotal, the tribal women initiated a protest demonstration against the arrest of their relatives by the troops of the Khyber Rifles. Number of local women of Khuga Khel tribe flanked by dozens of children, holding black flags and placards inscribed with slogans against the force, marched at Bypass Road of Landi Kotal. The protest women were of the view that a few days ago, Khyber Rifles apprehended their innocent relatives including schools children on the pretext of a search operation and were still in their custody. The force exercised during the search operations in Khuga Khel to break into their houses without policewomen was against the rites of tribal society and on other hand created fear amongst the children. “Practically the Khyber Rifles soldiers have besieged the area of Ashraf Khel, the sub-tribe of Khuga Khel by setting up entry and exit points inside the locality and annoying the dwellers on the excuse of the investigation”, the protesters maintained. They added that the soldiers recovered nothing unlawful in their raids but beside it, they arrested their children that was regretful, they argued. The tribal women demanded early release of their innocent relatives, detained by the Khyber Rifle in the search operation. After assurance of the tribal elders and the political administration, they ended their agitation. All kind of traffic remained suspended for some time, traffic on bypass road was then resumed. Published in Daily Times, February 6th 2018.