LANDI KOTAL, April 6: The seven Afridi tribes of the Bara sub division of Khyber Agency resolved on Tuesday to resist any government move to launch an operation in their area against terrorists without taking them into confidence.
A decision to this effect was taken in a grand jirga of the representatives of all the seven tribes, held at Dhandoona near Bara. The jirga was presided over by Sirajuddin, Amir Tanzim-i-Ulama Bara. Addressing the Jirga, Sirajuddin clarified that there were no terrorists in their area and warned of an armed resistance if the government tried to launch an armed operation in Bara in search of foreign militants.
Sirajuddin announced a prize money of Rs500,000 for those who would furnish information about the whereabouts of extremists in any part of Bara. He also announced that anybody found guilty of patronizing or protecting terrorists would be fined Rs2 million and his house would be burnt down and he would be expelled from Khyber Agency.
Also speaking on the occasion Haji Namdar, chief of Bara Qambarkhel Peace committee asked the government to provide evidence of the presence of any militants in Bara, whom he pledged would be expelled by the tribesmen themselves.
He cautioned of mass up rising in all the tribal areas if the government repeated the blunders committed in Wana, South Waziristan. The jirga was also addressed by former federal minister for Tribal Affairs Malik Waris Khan Afridi And Haji Munir Shakir.
Malik Waris announced full cooperation to the government in wiping out extremist and foreign elements from tribal areas in keeping with tribal customs and traditions.
