Ouster: South Waziristan jirga bans shelter of ‘outsider’ militants

Orders Punjabi, Mehsud outlaws to leave area within three days

WANA: The Ahmadzai Wazir tribe has imposed a ban on sheltering Punjabi, Mehsud and Gandhapur militants and have asked them to leave the area within three days.

This decision was announced at a jirga attended by thousands of Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen in Wana, South Waziristan on Wednesday. The jirga was addressed by elders from nine clans. Prominent among them were Malik Noor Ali Khan, Sultan Mohammad, Maulana Mirza Jan and Malik Bismillah Khan.

Majority of the tribal elders observed the presence of Punjabi, Gandhapur and Mehsud Taliban was the root cause of violence in Wana. A number of tribal elders shared information with each other about militants’ activities.

Exiled

The elders later announced a complete ban on the presence and shelter of these militants. Besides telling these militants to leave the region within three days, the jirga warned tribesmen to abide by the decision or face the prospect of exile and having their homes demolished.

The elders asked all nine clans to prepare lists with the names of their youth to form a lashkar. This defence committee will take action against militants and those Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen found sheltering such elements.

The tribesmen took a similar decision against militants associated with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan headed by Tahir Yuldeshiv in March 2007. As a result, all Uzbek militants switched to Mehsud-tribe dominated areas in South Waziristan. Tahir was later killed in a US drone attack in North Waziristan.

After the expulsion of Uzbek militants from Wana in March 2007, the Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen established a peace jirga with government loyalist Commander Mullah Nazir as its head.

However, Nazir was also killed in a US drone attack in early 2013. After the death of Mullah Nazir, militants managed to reestablish a foothold in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd,  2015.