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Tribesmen sign peace deal in Bajaur
(AKI/DAWN) - A major Pakistani tribe straddling the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in the country's restive Bajaur tribal region gave an undertaking to the government to end militancy, refuse shelter to foreign militants and respect state authority.Mamoond, the largest and most strategically placed tribe in Bajaur, signed a comprehensive 28-point undertaking on Monday to surrender key figures of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Bajaur, lay down arms, disband militant groups and stop militant training camps. According to the second clause of the agreement, an official copy of which has been exclusively made available to Pakistani daily Dawn, TTP senior leadership in Bajaur including the TTP, deputy leader, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad and its chief spokesman Maulvi Said Muhammad alias Maulavi Omar will surrender to the government. Other TTP office bearers in Bajaur who are required to be surrendered to the government include key militant commander Jan Wali alias Sheena and Commander Aliur Rehman. The Mamoonds, who had rejected a government's demand to surrender militants and end militancy, decided to switch sides when the capture of two strategic heights by security forces on the night of 23 February turned the tables, forcing the TTP in Bajaur to call a unilateral ceasefire. 'It's the peoples' victory more than a military success', Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan, who led Operation Sherdil (Lion Heart) in Bajaur, told Dawn in an exclusive interview. Tariq promised to clear the remaining small pocket of Chehar Mang in Bajaur from militants in the next couple of days. The undertaking was signed by leading tribal elders from Mamoond and the administrator at the regional headquarters of Khar. The undertaking says that all militants would lay down arms and get themselves registered with their respective tribe to facilitate monitoring and the tribe shall submit a certificate of their good conduct. All militant groups under any name shall be disbanded, the undertaking says. It also says that no parallel administration shall be formed and the writ of the state shall be respected. 'No foreigners shall be allowed in the area, nor shall any property be sold or rented out to foreigners,' Clause 6 of the undertaking says, referring to possible foreign militants that could infiltrate and fight in Pakistan. 'On evidence of the presence of any foreigner in the area, the tribe will be responsible for their banishment and they will be obliged to take action in this regard and satisfy the government in accordance with the riwaj (local custom)', it adds. A ten-member committee has been formed that will include two representatives from the government to monitor and implement the undertaking. It says that security forces and government officials will not be targeted and there will not be any restrictions of their movement. 'Any member of all tribes in Bajaur will not indulge in terrorism activities in Pakistan including the tribal areas nor will they facilitate anyone in this regard. They will not allow the use of their territory for any subversive activities nor will they allow anyone to do so. 'Similarly, no local or foreign militant will be allowed to cross the border with Afghanistan.' There shall be a ban on FM radio station, the cessation of hostility and propaganda against the state and its institutions, and any violation will carry a penalty of Rs1 million, (10,000 euros) it says. The militants will stop patrolling, not collect any illegal taxes and the tribes will not object to setting up of any new check posts besides the ones already existing. It also says that all madrassahs or religious schools will be registered with the government and no new seminary will be set up in Bajaur without the government's approval. There will also be a complete ban on the display of heavy weapons and all such heavy weapons will be surrendered to the authorities within thirty days, the undertaking says. The agreement follows a previous one in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province in February between the militant group Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi and the government which introduced Islamic Sharia law in the Swat Valley. Posted by: Fred 2009-03-11 |
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