17 December 2004	Friday	04 Ziqa'ad 1425

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PESHAWAR, Dec 16: The military has announced a Rs5 million reward for people who would help the army capture Abdullah Mehsud, making it clear that it was not seeking any deal with the most wanted militant in the South Waziristan tribal region, credible sources said.

These sources, requesting anonymity, said the reward on capturing the 29-year-old one-legged former Guantanamo detainee was announced at a meeting here between Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain and tribal elders from Shabikhel and Shamenkhel sub-tribes of the main Mehsud clan.

They said the corps commander had told tribal elders that the government wanted unconditional surrender of the militant. Abdullah is wanted for his role in masterminding and supervising the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers working on a dam project in South Waziristan last October.

One of the Chinese was killed accidentally when military commandos launched a rescue operation a week later from the abduction. The five hostage takers were also killed in the action.

Sources said Gen Safdar offered the reward to tribes to help bring Abdullah to justice. An army spokesman in Peshawar, however, denied any reward to capture the tribal militant was announced at the meeting. "No such thing was announced," said a spokesman for the Inter Services Public Relations.

Insiders said the military was still interested in capturing Abdullah alive, hoping that this could pressure the former Taliban fighter to agree to surrender to the authorities unconditionally.

This latest development has come in the wake of reports of attempts by some of Mr Mehsud's close relations, including his brother, serving major in the Pakistan Army, and his brother-in-law, a retired colonel, to make him agree to surrender.

So far, sources said, Abdullah Mehsud was fiercely resisting any offer to surrender to the authorities. "The mere mention of the word 'surrender' turns him red with anger", said a source, who had met Abdullah in the first week of November in Jandola, told Dawn.

On the contrary, the sources said, there was growing optimism that Baitullah Mehsud, the overall commander of tribal militants in Mehsud territory, could agree to sign a good conduct agreement with the government.

Shabikhel tribesmen said that their shadowy clansman was willing to put his thumb to an affidavit of future good conduct provided the amnesty offer was extended to Abdullah as well.

"Baitullah acknowledges that Abdullah had done something really bad by kidnapping the Chinese, but wants the government to embrace all and let bygone be bygone," said one tribal elder.

"Ask Baitullah to come and sign the agreement with the authorities. As for as Abdullah is concerned, he will have to surrender, there is no other way out for him," a source present at the meeting quoted the corps commander as saying.

It has been learnt that the Shabikhel tribe has offered to help the military conduct search for foreign and local militants in their largely inaccessible territory. But, said one source, they were not willing to take responsibility for the protection of the army should they decide to deploy and set up bases in their area.

"The army is welcome into the area and we will help them as far as we can. They will be our guests, but we cannot take responsibility for something we are not capable of, their security in the event of any night attack by militants or miscreants," said one Shabikhel elder.

The tribal elders said they were also willing to sign an agreement with the government to deny shelter to foreign militants, but that the military wanted the tribe to actively support their campaign.

Meanwhile, an ISPR press release said Mehsud tribesmen had assured the government that they would not allow foreign and local militants to operate in their area in the South Waziristan tribal region, military authorities said.

They said the elders of the Shabikhel and Shamenkhel clans, two sub-tribes of the Mehsud tribe, held separate meetings with Corps Commander Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain here on Thursday.

The tribesmen assured him that they would fully cooperate with the security forces in Mehsud-dominated areas of the South Waziristan and would not provide shelter to the foreign militants.

Gen Safdar informed the tribesmen that like Ahmadzai Wazir-dominated area, the government had also prepared development plan for the Mehsud area. However, he said development activities could not take place unless complete peace was restored in the region.