The Grand Islamic Tribal Jirga on Sunday called for immediate halt of military operation in tribal areas and demanded of the federal government to tender apology for the insult inflicted on the tribesmen in the name of the operation against foreign militants.
The three-day tribal jirga arranged by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) was extensively attended by tribal elders, people and elected representatives from the seven tribal agencies and eight sub-divisions of Frontier Region.
On the concluding day, the jirga was addressed by JI central chief
Qazi Hussain Ahmad, provincial chief of JI, Sirajul Haq, provincial chief of JUI (F), Maulana Amanullah, MNAs from South Waziristan Agency, Maulana Mirajuddin and Abdul Malik, MNA from Bajaur Agency, Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rashid, provincial vice-president of JI, Shabbir Ahmad Khan and tribal elders, Bazer Gul Afridi, Tor Gul Chamkani, Shakirullah Afridi, Abdul Wadood Afridi, Gulab Shinwari and Malik Suleman Shah.
The jirga issued a declaration on the final day vowed to carry on peaceful political struggle for the real freedom of the tribal people and demanded of the government to take the tribal jirga into confidence for maintenance of peace in the area.
The government was urged to pay proper compensation to the families of those martyred in the operation besides reconstructing the demolished houses. The government was also asked to announce special package for the affected families and youth of the area. All the arrested tribesmen should be released forthwith and the false cases registered against them should be withdrawn, the declaration insisted.
The jirga called for immediate end to the interference of the US and UK forces in tribal areas so that the tribal people could spend their lives in accordance with their traditions and customs.
The jirga branded Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) as main cause of the killing of peaceful tribesmen in tribal areas in the guise of hunt for al Qaeda suspects and demanded for immediate repeal of the law. The black law of FCR should be replaced by Islamic system with the traditional status of tribal areas should be maintained, it demanded.
The declaration stated that the people of tribal areas should be given the right of appeal against the judgements of FCR in Supreme Court and Federal Shariat Court, and the jurisdiction of the apex court should be extended to tribal areas.
The jirga also proposed formation of 50-member agency council at every agency and a supreme council on the basis of all the agencies, demanding of the governor to immediately announce elections for the said councils so that the powers vested in governor and political agent could be devolved at grass root level.
Addressing the concluding session, JI chief, who is also the acting president of Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA), stressed upon the tribal people to launch a peaceful political struggle for attainment of their rights and demanded end to operation and repeal of FCR.
"The government is trying to create mistrust among various factions and tribes of the people here. They arranged another jirga of the so-called tribal elders at Governor House and unduly publicised the nominal Mehsud lashkar in order to create rift in the ranks of the tribes," Qazi said.
Meanwhile, an military official told AFP in Kabul on Sunday that Afghan forces plan a search mission to arrest more than 150 Taleban and al Qaeda suspects believed to have fled back across the border after a recent operation by Pakistan.
"We plan to carry out an operation against those Taleban and al Qaeda men who have re-entered Afghanistan recently after being pursued by Pakistani forces," said Afghan military commander Zakim Khan.
The official, who heads the 822nd border regiment in south-eastern Paktika province, said their intelligence was that more than 150 Taleban and al Qaeda fighters had entered Afghanistan.
He gave no date for the start of the operation but indicated it would focus on the areas of Marzak and Sar Howza in Paktika, near the Pakistan border.