Rise in weapon prices

Dara Adam Khel a tribal area situated between Kohat

 and Peshawer, is a center of weapons trade and

manufacturing. Soon after Soviet invasion on

Afghanistan in 1979, "Soviet made Kalashnikov became

 available in Dara Adam Khel, till February 2006, its

price was mere ten thousand Pakistani rupees, after

outbreak of sectarian violence in Hangu its price is

gone up to forty thousand, only second hand

Kalashnikov is available at the price of twenty five

thousand rupees.English Pistol of 30 bore was available

at price of mere 12000/rs now its price in Dara Adam

Khel market is 30000/rs.Price of M16 rifle is gone up

from 36000/rs to two hundred thousand rupees.

 Condemn weapons are smuggled from Meeran Shah to Dara

dam Khel, then these weapons are reconditioned in Dara

Adam Khel weapon manufacturing factories and are

smuggled back towards Meeran Shah".SHO police Station

Ibrahimzai Hangu Mr Rashid Gul Bangash has said.

"Mehsood tribesmen in groups of more then twenty

persons walk on foot from Meeran Shah to Dara Adam

 Khel carrying dozen Klashinkoves by each member of

 the group, they walk through hilly areas, after

delivering Klashinkoves in Dara Adam Khel these on
 
foot smugglers, carry some bullets and reconditioned

weapons from Dara Adam khel through Gandyali village

of Kohat they return back towards Meeran Shah by using

 shortest hilly routes, most often they escape and

 throw their arms behind when ever encountered by

police, they dislike to be arrested".Muhammad Hafeez

Bangash an eyewitness has said.

"Majority of Shia population from Hangu city is

 migrated to Kohat KDA, the moment armed forces are pulled out from

 Hangu their will be one another round of sectarian

 violence in Hangu Both Shia and Sunni sect people are

buying weapons",Waheed Ullah a School teacher and

coordinator of Silver Line NGO in Hangu, has said.

"School teacher Syeda Jana, Incharge Daskari School in

upper Orakzai gency and her children Anosh and Laila,

were mercilessly killed by Awkhel tribesmen in revenge

 of incidents which took place n Hanu during outbreak

 of sectarian violence in February because, they were
 
Shia, two Sunni girls were residing in another room of

 the hostel but only Shia girls were killed, their

bodies were deshaped by killers with daggers, my wife

Shabia Jan Councilor from Ustarzai Kohat had given

bath to their deadbodies before their burial, we

residents of Shia Bangash area are planning revenge

from Sunni Awkhel tribes men of Upper Orakzai Agency,

 though Governor NWFP has given three lakh rupees for

each deceased person and administration of Hangu Barani

 Project has given two lakh rupees for each deceased

person to their famlies but money cannot be a

substitute for humen life ", Mr. Najaf Ali husband of

Councilor Shabia Jan of Ustarzai Kohat has said.

"Smugglers supply weapon not only to Hangu but to
 
Afghanistan and elsewhere the market is available,
 
more then 3000 workers are employed in weapons

manufacturng industry of Dara Adam Khel, most of the

 skilled workers are from Kohat, Charsada, Sawabi and

Mardan, they are extremely good in makng 30bore

pistols", an arms factory owner Mr Abdullah Afridi has
said.

Government of Pakistan has no control on these tribal
 
areas of NWFP though Political administration is their

in Dara Adam Khel but exercise little influence or

control on weapon smugglers and manufacturers,

tribesmen of Dara Adam khel use term independent tribes

(Azad Qabail)about themseleves. As long as sectarian

conflict persists in Hangu and in its adjacent tribal

 areas, weapon prices will increase,  thus the

industry in Dara Adam Kheil will also keep on growing. 

By
Abdur Raziq

Tags: Dara , Khel , Adam , Hangu