Successful negotiations: Ban on incentives lifted for North Waziristan tribesmen

Tribesmen will require clearances from security forces at every checkpoint as CNICs delayed.

MIRANSHAH: Incentives for tribesmen in North Waziristan have been restored till voters’ registration is completed, a jirga between tribal elders and the political administration officials decided on Thursday.

Last year on December 17, the political administration had banned issuing official documents to the Wazir and Dawar tribes in the agency for not immunising their children against polio. Six months prior Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur had issued decree banning anti-polio drives in the agency unless drone attacks are stopped.

The December 17 decision meant that no passport, national identity cards or any other government document would be processed.

The jirga was attended by Political Agent Siraj Ahmad Khan, Assistant Political Agent Muhammad Tahir Khan, and tribal elders Maulvi Gul Ramzan, Hafiz Nurullah Shah, Hafiz Abdul Sattar, and Malik Umer Gul, among others.



Ramzan appreciated the move and said that around 0.5 million tribesmen had been stranded in the agency following the ban. Visas for many tribesmen also expired in this time. “Most of the tribesmen could not move out of the agency,” Ramzan added.

Due to the delay in processing CNICs, tribesmen will require clearances from security forces at every checkpoint.

Local political leaders played an important role for lifting the ban and tribesmen will be able to cast their votes, Ramzan said.

Tribe elders said they were willing to meet Bahadur to convince him to allow polio vaccination teams in the agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2013.