Grand jirga: Mehsuds ask govt to evict militants
Also call for rebuilding of their destroyed houses.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN:
A grand jirga of Mehsud elders was held with the political administration of South Waziristan in Tank on Wednesday to present demands of the displaced tribe to the government.
They requested the government to clear the Mehsud area (Ladha and Sarwakai sub-division) of South Waziristan of militants so the Mehsuds could return to their homes.
The jirga also asked the government to rebuild destroyed houses and members of the tribe be compensated for the material damages caused by the military operation in the area.
Calling their condition as one of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the elders said three years had passed since the military operation was launched in their area, adding that the government should fulfill their demands as soon as possible.
The Mehsuds also requested that the annual development programme (ADP) be distributed among the various tribes of South Waziristan Agency as per ‘nikat’ (the traditional tribal distribution method) under which the Mehsud tribe would have three shares, while the Wazir tribe would only have one share.
They also asked the government to protect the boundaries of Mehsud land, bordering with North Waziristan and Wana of South Waziristan. The elders also expressed displeasure over the displacement of families of the Mehsud tribes from the Wana sub-division of South Waziristan (Ahmadzai Wazir tribe area), saying the Mehsud and Wazir tribes were each other’s brothers and should help each other in difficult times such as these. The grand jirga was presided over by Shazadah Hamayum, also known as the prince of the Mehsud tribe.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2012.
A grand jirga of Mehsud elders was held with the political administration of South Waziristan in Tank on Wednesday to present demands of the displaced tribe to the government.
They requested the government to clear the Mehsud area (Ladha and Sarwakai sub-division) of South Waziristan of militants so the Mehsuds could return to their homes.
The jirga also asked the government to rebuild destroyed houses and members of the tribe be compensated for the material damages caused by the military operation in the area.
Calling their condition as one of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the elders said three years had passed since the military operation was launched in their area, adding that the government should fulfill their demands as soon as possible.
The Mehsuds also requested that the annual development programme (ADP) be distributed among the various tribes of South Waziristan Agency as per ‘nikat’ (the traditional tribal distribution method) under which the Mehsud tribe would have three shares, while the Wazir tribe would only have one share.
They also asked the government to protect the boundaries of Mehsud land, bordering with North Waziristan and Wana of South Waziristan. The elders also expressed displeasure over the displacement of families of the Mehsud tribes from the Wana sub-division of South Waziristan (Ahmadzai Wazir tribe area), saying the Mehsud and Wazir tribes were each other’s brothers and should help each other in difficult times such as these. The grand jirga was presided over by Shazadah Hamayum, also known as the prince of the Mehsud tribe.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2012.