KHYBER: Inspector General of Frontier Corps (IGFC) Major General Anjum Riaz on Thursday stressed the importance of coordinated efforts between tribal elders and law-enforcement agencies in the ongoing fight against terrorism, especially focusing on the volatile security situation in the Tirah Valley.

He met with around 100 elders from Khyber tribal district at Bala Hisar Fort, with Peshawar commissioner Riaz Mehsud and district officials also in attendance.

Some participants told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the IGFC told elders that security forces were taking “extreme care” to prevent collateral damage during their operations against terrorists in Tirah.

“We feel sorry for the loss of innocent lives in the intelligence-based operations against terrorists in parts of Tirah and acknowledge that the local population was targeted during those operations,” he said in response to the visitors’ complaints about civilian casualties and damage to private and commercial property.

The IGFC, however, insisted that some elements in the local population were sympathetic towards outlawed groups and provided them with shelter and other assistance.

He asked elders to either distance themselves from proscribed groups or help law- enforcement agencies eliminate them from the valley.

To a question from elders of Tirah about unfenced part of Rajgal valley, the IGFC sad that though the particular terrain was tough and rugged, the government intended to build a security wall, instead of a barbed wire, in that particular area in order to prevent cross border movement of suspected people and drug smugglers.

As the elders complained about the weakening of the local jirga system and loss of trust between tribal elders and people, the IGFC assured them that he favoured the strengthening and revival of the jirga system in the merged tribal districts along with “useful” tribal customs and traditions.

“We want to bridge the gap between law-enforcement agencies and ordinary tribesmen as only a joint effort will help eradicate terrorism from regions bordering Afghanistan,” he insisted.

The IGFC added that there was no intention on part of the government to launch a major operation or forcibly displace the local population.

He, however, said some extreme steps were necessary to be taken to prevent collateral damage during the targeted operations against terrorists.

Earlier, tribal elders informed the top security official that they were neither in favour of peace committees nor tribal lashkars to assist security forces in their fight against the outlawed terrorist groups and that nobody in Tirah was willing to vacate their houses in anticipation of any military operation.

A participant told Dawn that the IGFC was told by visitors that military operations and the use of force was no solution to the current volatile situation in any part of tribal areas.

They insisted that only a powerful jirga with full official backing could help address the law and order situation.

“The merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has left us [tribals] powerless, with the traditional jirga system and tribal customs losing effectiveness,” an elder told Dawn.

He said the elders of Tirah were annoyed with the ongoing military operation and told the IGFC that the security forces bothered them whenever terrorists forcibly came to their houses and asked for favours.

The elders called for the formation of a powerful jirga with full government backing to broker a deal with banned outfits and negotiate with Afghan government for help in prevailing upon the local Taliban.

On Nov 22, Peshawar’s commissioner met with those elders at Khyber House.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2024