Pashtun Tribes Rise Against Taliban In Pakistan Tribal Area

Photo by Ihsanullah Wazir (AP)

Shaheen Buneri - AHN Foreign Correspondent
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AHN) - A grand Jirga (Tribal elders' council) of eleven sub tribes in the Orakzai Agency of the Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has decided to unite against foreign militants in the area and help the military to regain control over the checkposts earlier occupied by Taliban groups.

Locals say that a grand Jirga of eleven sub tribes of Orakzai tribe was held Friday at the Dabori area of the agency in which tribal elders and local religious scholars expressed their grave concern over the raising militancy in the tribal region.

The Jirga decided to unite and expel all foreign militants from the tribal agency and help the military to regain control over the security checkposts earlier occupied by militants of the Pakistan Taliban Movement.

Haji Khan Afzal, Mayor of Hangu district and a prominent tribal elder of the area has confirmed that the Pashtun tribes living in the far-flung Orakzai Agency close to the Pakistan-Afghan border have developed consensus to take action against foreign militants.

"The tribes have also decided not to fight against each other and resolve all tribal feuds through negotiations. They will also fight together to cleanse the area of foreign militants so that Pakistan Army don't feel the need to enter the area for a military action against the militants," he added.

Khan Afzal explained that very soon another grand Jirga will be held in which elders of all tribes of the agency will participate. The Jirga will debate on the issue of how to counter militancy in the violence-prone region and develop an alliance against the Taliban.

Local sources say that the tribes also warned Taliban groups to leave the area and refrain from destroying peace in the region.

Moulvi Omar, Spokesman of the Pakistan Taliban Movement says that due to a rise in crime rates in the Orakzai Agency that the Taliban had to reorganize themselves in the area and they will continue to fight against criminal groups and drug traffickers.

Orakzai Agency is one of Pakistan's seven tribal districts along the Pakistan-Afghan border where local people have been witnessing an increase in Taliban activity over the last few months.

It also merits a mention here that in January a local tribal leader Zulman Shah also tried to unite the tribes against Taliban. However, after Taliban attacks on Zulman Shah he announced his support to Taliban.

So far, 250 tribal elders have been killed by different militant groups in FATA. Most of the slain tribal elders were supporting government agencies against the Taliban. Some reports suggest that a large number of tribal elders also migrated to other parts of the country due to fear of a Taliban backlash in the past.

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