September 14, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 6, 1423

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MIRANSHAH, Sept 13: A jirga of the Uthmanzai tribe of North Waziristan Agency has decided that the tribesmen would launch a civil disobedience movement if the government did not stop interfering in the tribal traditions.

The jirga held at Qutubkhel near the agency headquarters, Miranshah, on Friday, also staged a demonstration to protest the proposed reforms in the tribal areas.

The jirga was attended by tribal chieftains, Maliks and a large number of people belonging to various sub-tribes of the area, besides government employees and officials of Khasadar force.

The participants also rejected the idea of power meters’ installation in the tribal belt.

The jirga members told Dawn that it had been unanimously decided to launch a civil disobedience movement in case the government did not desist from interfering in the tribal traditions.

They said that Quaid-i-Azam, had promised the tribesmen that there would be no interference in their customs and traditions. Malik Mamoor Khan and Malik Gulabat Khan said that the jirga also opposed the meter installation drive in the agency.

They said that in case anyone did not adhere to the jirga decisions, he would be fined and his house demolished.

They said that the jirga had also formed a Lashkar comprising around 1,600 armed men to implement its decisions.