Nearly 60 members of Karmazkhel tribe of South Waziristan Agency have been arrested under the collective responsibility law after incidents of fire in Agency Headquarters Hospital and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office, a tribal news service reported on Thursday.
Kamran Khan, Assistant Political Agent of Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan, said 45 among the arrested people had been taken to Dera Ismail Khan Jail. He said all the suspects in the two cases had been arrested and further investigations were under way. He said people involved in those incidents would be punished, while innocent persons would be set free, Tribal News Network, a private news service said.
Ali Wazir, a social activist, said such arrests further radicalise the minds of people. He said the arrested people also included doctors, engineers and students. He called upon the government to release the innocent people. The administration of Kurram Agency has also arrested three people under collective responsibility law. Two security personnel were killed and five others injured in three blasts in the area few days ago.
The arrests show that the British-era FCR still haunts the people in tribal areas and political agents issue detention order of the elders who have no direct link with any incident. Political wrangling has deprived tribal people of the much-publicized FATA reforms despite its approval by the cabinet and a widespread support by the people.