17 July 2004	Saturday	28 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

WANA, July 16: Talks between two wanted militants and tribal parliamentarians failed on Friday after the militants refused to surrender. At the same time differences persisted among the Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen over the political administration's demand for revival of a reconciliation committee dissolved by the tribesmen on Wednesday.

The MNA from South Waziristan Agency, Maulana Abdul Malik, and former MNA Maulana Noor Mohammad did not turn up at a jirga here on Friday. The two leaders were to inform the tribesmen about the outcome of their meeting with the two militants, Maulvi Abbas and Mohammad Jawed.

But they did not attend the jirga apparently because the militants had declined to accept their request to surrender to the government. Both the wanted men had stated that they would give a guarantee for not participating in any hostile action against the Pakistan Army or the government of Pakistan, the sources said, adding that they had also given an assurance that they would not object to any military operation against foreigners hiding the region.

However, the government turned down their plea and insisted on their surrender. The jirga at Wana was attended by thousands of tribesmen. The number of participants was higher than in the earlier jirgas because a large number of farmers were present.

Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles loaded with fruit and vegetables remain stranded in the area and could not leave the agency. The agency administrator, Asmatullah Gandapur, had made it clear to the tribesmen to revive the defunct committee because it was working with the approval of the government.