PESHAWAR, Dec 30: A jirga of tribal elders arranged here by Jamaat-i-Islami on Thursday demanded an end to military operations and drone attacks in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and a judicial inquiry into the killings of innocent tribesmen.

Through a unanimous resolution, the tribal elders also called for immediate rehabilitation of thousands of displaced tribesmen in their respective areas.

The jirga arranged by JI's Fata chapter, was held at Nishtar Hall and prominent among the speakers were JI amir Syed Munawwar Hassan, naib amir Sirajul Haq, former MNA Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed and Shabir Ahmed Khan.

“We have nothing to do with the war on terror; it has been imposed on us and as result innocent people, including women and children, are being killed and houses destroyed daily, but our rulers are least bothered to protect the tribesmen,” said Munawar Hassan while speaking on the occasion.The tribal elders who spoke on the occasion included Dr Samiullah Jan Mehsud, Mohammad Ilyas Bangash, Shah Faisal Afridi, Haji Saleem Khan Orakzai, Malik Mohammad Diyar Bajauri, Malik Saeed Khan Haleemzai, Raj Mohammad Wazir, Nadeem Khan Wazir, Hazrat Shah Tarakzai, Maulana Zahidullah Bittani, Mohammd Amin Kokikhel, Dr Munsif Khan, Maulana Waheed Gul and Zar Noor Afridi.

“Our government should forthwith dissociate itself from the war on terror, change its foreign policy, hold dialogue with all stakeholders for restoration of sustainable peace and abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR),” said a declaration presented by Sardar Khan Bajauri and approved by the jirga.

The participants also demanded announcement of financial package for the rehabilitation of militancy-hit areas, extension of Political Parties' Act to Fata and enforcement of Islamic system in the regions.

The JI amir said that the war on terror was aimed at occupation of our natural resources, weakening of Muslims and spreading Western culture in the region. He said that our rulers and security forces were serving American interests by launching operations in Fata regions and thus weakening the country.

Mr Hassan said that it was not a war on terror, but simply a genocide of tribesmen, which had been initiated by the anti-Muslim forces. He said that the US would not leave Afghanistan easily and the schedule for withdrawal of forces was a mere drama.

He warned that in case operation was launched in North Waziristan it would lead to frequent terror attacks in Pakistan by the Indian secret agencies and Blackwater agents posing as Taliban.

The JI amir said that tribesmen had always supported the country's security forces and Kashmir was a living example of their sacrifices. He alleged that the government had been making amendments to the constitution on the US dictations. He warned that any change in the blasphemy law could trigger countrywide agitation against the government.

Mr Siraj rejected the impression that those killed or wounded in the drone attacks were terrorists. He said that recently hundreds of injured tribesmen had held demonstration in Islamabad, but no one could prove that they were involved in any form of violence.

He said that 29,500 houses, 750 shops, 550 hujras, 100 mosques, 800 schools, 70 colleges, 130 healthcare centers, over 600,000 livestock had been destroyed in drone attacks and military operations.

Criticizing the Awami National Party, he said that its leaders were urging the federal government to intensify operations in Fata. He said that those posing as champions of Pakhtuns' rights were bent upon killing them.

Referring to the miseries of Fata IDPs, Mr Siraj said that 27,000 people had been living in different camps in chilly cold weather with no proper facilities.

The representatives of different Fata regions counted several problems being faced by the tribesmen, saying that they did not know why the forces and drones were targeting them.

They said owing to migration thousands of children had been deprived of education.

“When tribesmen enter the settled areas police send them behind bars for none of their fault,” they said and added that the government should stop this discriminatory attitude as they were also Pakistanis. “We just want to be treated like other Pakistanis,” the elders said.