Pamphlets warning tribesmen against harbouring militants were distributed in the South Waziristan tribal region on Saturday – a day when the authorities gave local tribesmen until April 25 to expel Taliban insurgents from their villages.
The pamphlets, titled ‘A Public Message’, were distributed by the authorities in the Wana subdivision, residents said.
“All those who are helping local or foreign militants with money or men should expel them before April 25 because these terrorists are the enemy of Islam and Pakistan,” reads the pamphlet, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune.
“If terrorists are found anywhere in the region after the lapse of the deadline, the government will launch an operation there,” it warns.
The political administration had earlier closed down all routes to the agency, causing problems for tribesmen. The decision was taken following a surge in violence that prompted a small-scale military operation.
The routes were closed following the April 4 botched suicide attack in the area. Local tribal elders decided to hold talks with the political administration to re-open the routes.
A grand jirga of Ahmadzai Wazir tribes met with the political authorities on Saturday.
A tribal elder, who was part of the Jirga, told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity that the tribesmen were serious in maintaining peace in Wana “we will convene an internal jirga to discuss the issue in detail as to what steps need to be taken before the deadline expires”.
IED blast in Tank
Meanwhile, at least one security official was injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded on Tank-Jandola Road near Khirgi village of Frontier Region of Tank, a security official told The Express Tribune.
The security personnel inadvertently stepped on an IED planted by militants along a roadside. As result, the man was wounded.
A few hours later another explosion occurred near the FC Fort located in Manzai, around 7 kilometres from Jandola area of the Bittani tribe. A security forces vehicle was slightly damaged.
Another two IEDs were recovered from the Khirgi area, which were subsequently defused by the security forces.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
This is the second misleading report published by Tribune on the issue. Let us be very clear Army is not against Talibans. It is only against Mahsud Talibans / TTP. Mullah Nazir is the commander of Ahmadzai Taliban of Wana area of South Waziristan. The pamphlet distributed by the Army is not addressed to Mullah Nazir because he is the 'good guy' in the good books of Army. It is addressed to the Mahsud Talibans / TTP who have taken shelter in Wana valley after their dislocation from their areas after the Army operation of 2009. Mahsud Talibans / TPP are/is presently the bad guy/s in the eyes of the Army. The impression that the report creats as if the Army wants Wana valley clean from terrorists is incorrect.