MIRAMSHAH: The local Taliban and elders of Uthmanzai tribe have formed a joint lashkar to take action against those elements, who are involved in target killings, kidnappings and attacks on security forces.
The 100 men strong lashkar was formed at a jirga held at Anghar Kallay near Miramshah here on Thursday. The jirga was attended by Taliban and Uthmanzai elders.
Local Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, Maulvi Gul Ramazan, Malik Nasrullah Khan, Malik Misal Khan and others addressed the jirga.
They said that peace agreement inked with the government was still intact. They also urged security forces not to violate the peace agreement inked with the tribal people.
“Kidnappers, terrorists and those involved in attacks on security forces should leave North Waziristan Agency immediately,” the jirga decided unanimously. The lashkar would patrol markets and other public places in Miramshah and its adjacent areas.
The jirga authorised the lashkar to launch an action against criminals, kidnappers, target killers and those, who were attacking security forces.
Sources said that the decision was taken keeping in view the growing incidents of kidnappings, and killing of tribal elders and attacks on security forces during the past few weeks.
Recently, two tribal elders -- Malik Mashar Khan and Malik Noor Din Darpakhel -- were targeted killed. Besides, a military tank was destroyed in a roadside explosion on Sunday last. A newspaper hawker, Omar Daraz, was also kidnapped in the area.
The elders asked the administration to allow the lashkar to man the checkposts along with security personnel.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur asked political administration not to misuse Frontier Crimes Regulation and stop bombing of civilian targets. “The political administration should not misuse its powers as we are aware of our responsibilities under the FCR,” he said.
Later, the jirga members headed by Malik Nasrullah Khan and Maulvi Gul Ramazan, called on Political Agent Siraj Ahmad Khan and apprised him of the decisions taken at the joint jirga.
The political agent appreciated the decisions of the jirga and urged the elders to play their role in lifting ban on polio vaccination in the area.
Taliban had banned polio vaccination in the area that deprived thousands of children of immunisation during the last few months. Taliban say that they will allow vaccination in the area if drone attacks are stopped.
The jirga also discussed the issue of suspension of electricity to North Waziristan Agency and demanded of the administration to allow the joint lashkar to take action against Bakakhel tribe for disrupting the power supply.
Power supply to North Waziristan was suspended on Thursday when people of Bakakhel tribe hooked the 132,000kv transmission line with a chain. The power suspension paralysed life in the tribal agency.
The jirga elders said that few armed men of Bakakhel tribe had disconnected the electricity supply while Bannu administration failed to take action against them.
The elders threatened that the tribal lashkar could take up arms against the Bakakhels but they were waiting for the administration to initiate action in that regard. They held the Bannu administration responsible for the power crisis in North Waziristan Agency.
