The Pakistani military said on Friday it might use force again to hunt down foreign militants holed up along the rugged, lawless border with Afghanistan as a midnight deadline approached for them to surrender or register.
Government officials and tribesmen sheltering the foreigners were trying to hammer out differences with just hours to go before the deadline, said a senior government official in Peshawar.
"There is still no understanding on how the registration will take place but we are hopeful that the issue will be finally resolved," said one official, who asked not to be identified.
The foreign militants had received ample time to register with the government and to give a pledge not to create security problems, military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said.
"We have given a fair chance for peaceful resolution and registration. In case they do not take advantage of this offer then we have options open for the use of force," he said.
"There should be no doubt about the government's resolve that we want total elimination of terrorism from our soil," he said.
About 120 people were killed in March when the Pakistani military raided homes of tribesmen and militant hideouts in South Waziristan, a wild tribal area near the Afghan border.
Tribesmen negotiating on behalf of the foreigners had rejected the offer to register, saying they did not want Pakistan to give their details to other countries, the provincial government official in Peshawar said.
"They say they do not want their pictures taken or to give such details that could cause problems for their relatives back in their own countries," he said.
Instead, the tribesmen had offered personal guarantees that the foreigners would not engage in attacks on Pakistani or Afghan soil.
The offer was made by tribal warrior Nek Mohammad, who was given an amnesty after the March battles despite his links to al Qaeda and the Taleban after he pledged to stop fighting.
Nek Mohammad was one of five tribal leaders who led fierce resistance to the Pakistani army offensive to hunt down hundreds of suspected al Qaeda guerrillas hiding in the tribal areas.
A tribesman who attended Friday's meeting said the government was not satisfied with the guarantees given by Nek Mohammad and wanted his entire tribe to pledge collective responsibility for the conduct of the foreigners.
US and Afghan officials say militants launch attacks on US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan from bases in Pakistan's tribal belt and have urged Pakistan to act against them.
Foreign Mujahideen were brought to Afghanistan by US and were used against former Soviet Union. After former USSR was defeated, US declared those Mujahids as terrorists.
People of tribal areas sheltered these people after even their own countries refused to accept them and married their daughters and sisters with them. They were living peacefully as government asked them not to use Pakistani land for activities against any other country.
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