Pakistan: Khugakhel tribesmen continue protest, stop construction work at Torkham border

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 7 : Khugakhel tribesmen in Pakistan continued their protest sit-in on Wednesday and stopped construction work at the Torkham border, local media reported on Friday.
According to The News International, the tribes will continue to protest till the release of the tribesmen who were earlier arrested by the police.
The tribesmen continued the protest on the third consecutive day on Wednesday and stopped the National Logistics Cell (NLC) from undertaking the construction work, underway at Torkham border, The News International further reported.
According to the Pakistani newspaper, an angry mob of Khugakhel tribesmen gathered at the Bacha Khan Chowk in Landikotal bazaar and chanted slogans. They later marched towards the Torkham border while holding black flags in their hands.
The protesters led by Mufti Muhammad Ejaz and Mirajuddin Shinwari, marched towards Torkham located at a distance of seven kilometers from Landikotal bazaar.
The police at various spots tried to stop them from entering the Torkham border locality but failed to do so.
The police arrested 14 protesters at Michni checkpost to disperse the mob while the rest of protesters crossed it and entered Torkham. The Khugakhel tribesmen claimed to have stopped the NCL from the construction work on their land in Torkham. However, no untoward incident happened on the third day, The News International reported.
Meanwhile, a few rounds of talks were also held between the Khugakhel elders and NLC assigned jirga members but it could not end the protest.
Meanwhile, Naujawanan-e-Qabail president Israr Shinwari told The News International that the protest sit-in would continue till the release of the tribesmen.