Militants lash 65 drugies in Orakzai

KALAYA: Militants affiliated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan awarded 10 lashes each to 65 alleged drug-addicts publicly in Mamozai area of Orakzai Agency on Sunday, sources told The News.Talking to reporters by telephone, Hafiz Saeed, TTP spokesman in Orakzai Agency, admitted to conduct public lashing of the alleged drug addicts by the militants. He claimed that the addicts confessed before the ‘Shariah court’ to have taken drugs despite warnings by the Taliban militants. He said the convicts were publicly punished so that no one could dare violate the TTP warning in the troubled tribal region in future.It merits a mention here that Inspector General Frontier Corps Maj Gen Nadirzeb a few days back had told media that the security forces had broken backbone of the militants during the recent military operation in Orakzai Agency, securing control over 90 per cent of the area. However, situation is still tense in the region and the security forces have been facing tough resistance from Taliban militants.Tribal sources said that Taliban were still having complete control over upper and central parts of the tribal region and established their Sharia courts. The government in 2007 launched military against Taliban in Orakzai Agency that is still going on. It had forced the local tribesmen into fleeing their homes and villages and taking shelter in the distant Hangu and Kohat districts thrice during the past three years – Theneews