TANK, Dec 5: The Mehsud elders have requested the political administration to extend the deadline, set for expulsion of the tribe from South Waziristan Agency.
Scores of Mehsud elders submitted a written application with political agent of South Waziristan Agency through the assistant political agent, seeking extension in the Dec 5 deadline, which expired on Wednesday.
In the application the tribal elders said that thousands of Mehsuds were residing in South Waziristan and their expulsion in such a short span of time was not possible. They said that sufficient time should be given to them to leave the area.
The tribal elders said that some families that had shifted from South Waziristan Agency to Tank were living in the open there.
They said that those people had no proper arrangements for accommodation.
The elders said that most of the migrating Mehsuds belonged to poor families and they couldn’t bear even transportation expenses. “So they are going on foot which may take time,” they said.
The Mehsud elders demanded of the political administration to provide tents and essential items to the tribal people to save them from any catastrophe. They also demanded relaxation in checking for migrating people at various checkpoints, set up between South Waziristan Agency and Tank district.
Meanwhile, a jirga of Mehsud elders will be held at political compound in Tank on Thursday to review the situation thoroughly.
In Khyber Agency, a member of a banned militant group was killed and two others were injured in clashes between rival groups in Bazaar Zakhakhel area of Bara on Wednesday.
Sources said that clashes erupted in Dera area when members of Lashkar-i-Islam attacked a bunker of their rival group Tawheedul Islam. Momin Khan Sipah of Lashkar-i-Islam was killed while another member of the group was injured in exchange of fire.
A member of Tawheedul Islam was also injured. However, the attack was repulsed, sources said.
In Mohmand Agency, a government school was blown up by unidentified militants in tehsil Ekka Ghound on Wednesday.
Sources said that militants planted explosive devices in the building of middle school for boys in Shno Ghundo area. The school was destroyed completely when the explosive devices went off, they added.
The officials of local political administration also confirmed that the school was blown up by unidentified militants. No loss of life was reported in the incident.
The residents of the area said that gunshots were fired in the adjacent areas after the blasts.
It is pertinent to mention here that the political administration have signed an accord with tribesmen about the safety of government buildings. According to the accord, the local tribesmen will reconstruct the blown up buildings of schools and other government offices in their respective areas.
The accord has bounded the tribesmen to protect government property in their area.
