PESHAWAR:
The recent talks between the government and North Waziristan tribal
jirga in Peshawar proved a futile exercise as both sides had reportedly
stuck to their demands that made the jirga members understand that the
government was going to launch a full-scale military operation, said a
senior member of the jirga, Hafiz Noorullah Shah.
“In our meetings with the corps commander and later with the government, the only thing we noted was the government has made up its mind to conduct a military operation in North Waziristan,” said Hafiz Noorullah Shah, a cleric who runs a madrassa in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan.
Earlier, another member of the jirga, Maulana Gul Ramazan had stated that the government had given them a two-week deadline to expel all foreign militants from North Waziristan and the government would not use force there.
However, Hafiz Noorullah Shah seemed quite disappointed and said they were going to Waziristan to bring their families and valuables out of the tribal region as, according to him, the government was preparing for the operation there.
Talking to this correspondent on phone while on his way to Miranshah, he said they demanded of the government to remove the recently installed five military observation posts in Mir Ali and Miranshah, which, according to him, had caused unrest among the local tribespeople and Taliban leadership.
Hafiz Noorullah Shah said that the government had agreed with them to remove the military observation posts but the jirga would need to expel all foreign and non-local Pakistani militants from the tribal region.
The jirga members had spent two days, Friday and Saturday, in hectic meetings mostly with senior military officials in Peshawar and tried their best to convince the military authorities and government to issue a statement that they would not launch a military operation so that the tribespeople could stop fleeing their houses and villages.
Tribal elder Haji Sher Mohammad Wazir, the grandson of late freedom fighter Mirza Ali Khan alias the Faqir of Ipi, and a religious leader Maulana Gul Ramazan, had led the tribal jirga that comprised tribal elders and clerics.On Saturday evening, the North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur called some of the jirga members and wanted to learn from them about the outcome of their meetings with the governor and corps commander.
“Obviously we didn’t have good news for the Taliban shura and the people of Waziristan. Hafiz Gul Bahadur agreed that foreign people had to leave the tribal region for the sake of the people but not at this time when the government had put a gun to his head,” Hafiz Noorullah Shah explained.
Fearing a military operation, the local Taliban had asked tribespeople to shift their families out of Waziristan before June 10. Also, they had asked the tribespeople to avoid taking shelter in the government-run camps meant for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and advised them to go to neighbouring Afghanistan, if fighting erupted.
Asked whether the Taliban would extend the deadline, Hafiz Noorullah Shah said the Taliban shura wasn’t satisfied with the meetings between the jirga and government, therefore they should extend the June 10 deadline.
According to sources, the military authorities and particularly the Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani had made it clear to the jirga members that the time has come they should realise their responsibilities as elders after signing a peace accord with the government in 2006-7 and pledged that they would be responsible for maintaining order and would not allow foreigners to stay there.
In the past, the tribal elders after sensing military action would come to Peshawar and Islamabad and make promises of taking action against foreigners and under tribal traditions would succeed in avoiding the use of force there.
This time, the jirga members admitted that the tone of the government and military officials had changed.Malik Sher Mohammad Waziri however hoped they would avoid the use of force through negotiations.
“The task is no doubt difficult but we will talk to our elders in Waziristan to find a peaceful solution. We would tell the people that we don’t want to fight against our armed forces and if someone is willing to fight then we would vacate Waziristan and let them do their work. But I must say the people of Waziristan are peace loving Pakistanis. Mehsud tribespeople are our brothers and would convince them to leave their area,” Sher Mohammad Wazir said.
“In our meetings with the corps commander and later with the government, the only thing we noted was the government has made up its mind to conduct a military operation in North Waziristan,” said Hafiz Noorullah Shah, a cleric who runs a madrassa in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan.
Earlier, another member of the jirga, Maulana Gul Ramazan had stated that the government had given them a two-week deadline to expel all foreign militants from North Waziristan and the government would not use force there.
However, Hafiz Noorullah Shah seemed quite disappointed and said they were going to Waziristan to bring their families and valuables out of the tribal region as, according to him, the government was preparing for the operation there.
Talking to this correspondent on phone while on his way to Miranshah, he said they demanded of the government to remove the recently installed five military observation posts in Mir Ali and Miranshah, which, according to him, had caused unrest among the local tribespeople and Taliban leadership.
Hafiz Noorullah Shah said that the government had agreed with them to remove the military observation posts but the jirga would need to expel all foreign and non-local Pakistani militants from the tribal region.
The jirga members had spent two days, Friday and Saturday, in hectic meetings mostly with senior military officials in Peshawar and tried their best to convince the military authorities and government to issue a statement that they would not launch a military operation so that the tribespeople could stop fleeing their houses and villages.
Tribal elder Haji Sher Mohammad Wazir, the grandson of late freedom fighter Mirza Ali Khan alias the Faqir of Ipi, and a religious leader Maulana Gul Ramazan, had led the tribal jirga that comprised tribal elders and clerics.On Saturday evening, the North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur called some of the jirga members and wanted to learn from them about the outcome of their meetings with the governor and corps commander.
“Obviously we didn’t have good news for the Taliban shura and the people of Waziristan. Hafiz Gul Bahadur agreed that foreign people had to leave the tribal region for the sake of the people but not at this time when the government had put a gun to his head,” Hafiz Noorullah Shah explained.
Fearing a military operation, the local Taliban had asked tribespeople to shift their families out of Waziristan before June 10. Also, they had asked the tribespeople to avoid taking shelter in the government-run camps meant for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and advised them to go to neighbouring Afghanistan, if fighting erupted.
Asked whether the Taliban would extend the deadline, Hafiz Noorullah Shah said the Taliban shura wasn’t satisfied with the meetings between the jirga and government, therefore they should extend the June 10 deadline.
According to sources, the military authorities and particularly the Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani had made it clear to the jirga members that the time has come they should realise their responsibilities as elders after signing a peace accord with the government in 2006-7 and pledged that they would be responsible for maintaining order and would not allow foreigners to stay there.
In the past, the tribal elders after sensing military action would come to Peshawar and Islamabad and make promises of taking action against foreigners and under tribal traditions would succeed in avoiding the use of force there.
This time, the jirga members admitted that the tone of the government and military officials had changed.Malik Sher Mohammad Waziri however hoped they would avoid the use of force through negotiations.
“The task is no doubt difficult but we will talk to our elders in Waziristan to find a peaceful solution. We would tell the people that we don’t want to fight against our armed forces and if someone is willing to fight then we would vacate Waziristan and let them do their work. But I must say the people of Waziristan are peace loving Pakistanis. Mehsud tribespeople are our brothers and would convince them to leave their area,” Sher Mohammad Wazir said.
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