QUETTA, Nov 19: The Taliban leadership has handed over the control of Farah province to the local tribal Shoora following negotiations with elders.

“We have taken over the control of Farah without any resistance from Taliban,” the spokesmen for tribal Shoora, Mohammad Ayaz Khairi, told reporters on Monday. He said that Taliban Governor Mulla Saeed Mohammad had left the province with his staff.

“There is no Taliban militia man in the province as they also withdrew from the province after the agreement,” Mr Khairi, a former colonel of Afghan army, said.

Tribal leaders participated in the local Loya Jirga and decided that the Taliban should be asked to hand over the control of the province to the local tribal Shoora.

The Taliban, Mr Khairi said, had been convinced of the situation they no longer enjoyed people’s support so they should quit and pave the way for the formation of a new government in the country through Loya Jirga under former king Zahir Shah.

“We asked them that they should hand over their arms, and after that they can live here as citizens,” Mr Khairi said, adding that after negotiations the Taliban had left the province.

He said that a 100-man Shoora headed by Abdul Hakeem Spin had been set up in Farah to run the affairs of the province till the formation of a formal government.

In reply to a question, Mr Khairi said the Shoora had warned Commander Ismail Khan Toran against moving towards Farah as the local tribes had decided that they would not allow the Northern Alliance and others to enter the province.

UK troops: Up to 6,000 British troops are ready to fly to Afghanistan but cannot take off until problems are sorted out on the ground there, a defence ministry spokesman said on Monday, Reuters adds.

“We are not going to deploy unless there is a clear understanding of the role and risk they face. It is a very fluid situation,” the spokesman said.

An 85-strong British advance party flew out on Friday to Bagram airport north of Kabul — but that sparked an immediate row with the Northern Alliance.

British media reports have said the deployment was delayed due to the squabbling, but the ministry of defence insisted no date had ever been set.

“The units are saying we are ready but no decision has been taken to deploy them yet. Only a small number may get deployed,” the spokesman said.

“It’s like a golf bag — we can draw on the most appropriate,” he added.

The spokesman said certain problems must be resolved first — how heavily mined the area was, whether the surrounding hills were clear and equipment the troops would need.

Britain insisted over the weekend the Northern Alliance had been consulted about the initial deployment in Afghanistan, where foreigners are often viewed with deep suspicion.