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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| âMufti Shamzai was warned by the tribal militantsâ |
| 2004-06-08 |
| Militants had warned Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai not to come to South Waziristan on a government-sponsored peace mission in the area, sources told Daily Times. âShamzaiâs visit to South Waziristan was scheduled for June 1, two days after his assassination,â said a religious leader on condition of anonymity. Shamzai also persuaded Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) workers to end their protest when they blocked the Karakorom Highway in October 2001. Certain jihadi outfits were unhappy with Shamzai playing the role of a peacemaker and he had come in for a lot of criticism from them. Sources said that Shamzai was held in the highest esteem by jihadi circles despite opposition to his role in ending TNSM workersâ protest. He exercised great influence on the tribal areasâ jihadi forces as well as Arabs supposed to hiding in the tribal areas. âWhen the military operation started in the tribal areas, Shamzai contacted the jihadi leadership including Nek Muhammad and advised them to find a political solution to the dispute, but Nek opposed the idea,â the source said. Another religious leader said that Nek had written Shamzai a letter, expressing reservations on Shamzaiâs plan to broker a deal. Nek wrote that his influence over tribesmen would benefit the government instead of tribal people. The source said militants had warned Shamzai not to come to the area and that they would resolve the crisis independently. |
| Posted by:Fred |