WANA, May 8: The government on Saturday extended until Monday the deadline for foreign militants in South Waziristan to get themselves registered with the authorities and avail of the amnesty offer.

"The extension has been granted on the demand of Nek Muhammad," South Waziristan Political Administrator Asmatullah Gandapur told newsmen in Wana.

"There are foreign militants in South Waziristan and their registration is an obligatory element. There is a crisis in Wana and it is now incumbent upon all elders and ulema to play their role with honesty and sincerity of purpose to end this crisis," Mr Gandapur said.

Maulana Abdul Malik, a pro-MMA MNA from the tribal region, told Dawn that the registration of foreign militants was never part of the seven-point agreement.

"It was not there in the agreement. It was unfair on part of the corps commander to announce a deadline at Shakai," he said.

The extension in deadline, the 12th since October last, has come as a surprise given a statement by the head of security in Fata that the government will not extend the deadline that expired on Friday.

That the talks deadlocked is apparent from the fact that the Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, who had flown to Wana on Friday to negotiate with tribal militants and save the April 24 'rapprochement', remained locked in deliberations with Nek Muhammad until 1am.

Sources said that Nek Muhammad, a key tribal militant pardoned as part of the agreement, had sought a further one-week extension in the deadline to enable him to go back and persuade foreign militants.

Sources said the most contentious issue for the militants is their sensitivity to being photographed and giving out their antecedents and mark of identification as they fear this might be used to harass their families back home. But, the corps commander gave Nek Muhammad until 10am to return with foreign militants for registration. Nothing happened as the clocked ticked past the deadline.

Credible sources said the fresh extension had been granted not as a result of some concession to Nek Muhammad but to allow the political administration to galvanize its tribal lashkar and increase pressure on militants.

"It looks like we are back to square one," remarked one official.

Earlier, the South Waziristan administrator warned the tribes that the situation could yet again take a serious turn if they showed any apathy or slackness in resolving the 'crisis'.

Meanwhile, Maulana Malik told newsmen that the only foreigners living in the tribal region were Afghans and they were prepared to register themselves with the authorities.