Mohmand agency: Jirga assures army of support

GHALLANAI: A jirga of the Baizai tribe, which resides near the Pak-Afghan border in Mohmand Agency, has claimed it supports the army’s efforts of maintaining peace in the agency. The jirga, held on Saturday in Shandara near Salala Top, was attended by peace committee members and tribal elders. They said the Baizai tribe has always supported the security forces and will continue to do so. Malik Zar Jan, the tribal elder at whose hujra the jirga took place, said residents who had fled the agency to escape militancy have returned. He said it is now the responsibility of citizens to maintain vigilance and inform peace militiamen about any and all suspicious activities. He said they will stand shoulder to shoulder with the army in case of cross-border attacks. Jan also said they were promised development when the army was deployed in the agency in 2003, adding with the restoration of  peace they expect infrastructure schemes for the agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2014.