WANA: A grand jirga in South Waziristan Agency (SWA) has warned members of “non-local militant groups” of unspecified action if they do not leave area by Monday.

The jirga was held in Wana, the administrative headquarters of South Waziristan Agency, on Thursday.

A local peace committee organised the jirga, which was attended by Ulema, elders of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe and people of the area.

Sources said that the warning was issued after the political administration pointed out several areas where non-local militants had established their hideouts. They said these groups belonged to Punjab, Mehsud, Gandapur and Bittani and that they had moved back to SWA from North Waziristan Agency after launch of Zarb-i-Azb military operation in June last year.

“There are reports that various militant groups have established their sanctuaries in Zermelana, an area adjacent to Zhob district of Balochistan,” according to an official.

He said political authorities had brought the presence and activities of various non-local militants to the notice of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe’s elders and asked them to take action against them.

He said movement of these militants had also been noticed in Wana.

The jirga decided to destroy the houses of facilitators of non-local militants and to expel them from the area.

According to an announcement, members of Wazir Taliban are exempted from the decision, but they are not allowed to facilitate non-local groups.

According to the jirga’s decision, local people would not provide accommodation and other facilities to outsiders.

The jirga pledged that the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe would abide by a 2007 peace agreement with the government under which the tribe would not allow people to use its territory for subversive activities.

The government had signed a peace deal with Taliban commander Nake Mohammad Wazir in 2004. Nake Mohammad was later killed in a suspected drone attack. The deal, however, did not produce any result and the army had to launch several operations to establish the government’s writ in the area.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2015