PESHAWAR, Feb 2: A mujahideen commander on Wednesday endorsed the six-point draft peace agreement with the government clearing the last major hurdle to restoring peace and cleansing the restive South Waziristan tribal region
from foreign militants.
"It's a done thing now. The Mehsud jirga that had gone to seek Baitullah's endorsement for the draft peace agreement has informed us that he has given his approval," Fata security chief Brig Mehmood Shah told Dawn.
"The way ahead is clear now. This is a major breakthrough and we hope that the agreement will not only bring peace but also overcome the issue of foreign militants in South Waziristan," he said.
Brig Shah said that a 21-member peace committee that had helped draft the six-point peace agreement had gone to see the mujahideen commander at an undisclosed location in South Waziristan on Tuesday morning.
The committee that had met NWFP Governor Lt-Gen. (retd) Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah on Tuesday and won the government's approval for the draft agreement, told Baitullah he had to sign along the dotted lines since he had given them the 'waak' (authorisation) to negotiate peace.
The tribal negotiators that had left for the undisclosed location quite early in the morning to see the reclusive mujahideen commander, informed the authorities of his decision to back up the peace agreement later in the evening.
Brig. Shah said the jirga was now on its way back and would meet South Waziristan Political Agent Asmatullah Gandapur on Thursday and formally convey to him the decision of Baitullah Mehsud.
The six-point draft agreement says that Baitullah and his supporters would not protect and assist foreign militants, not attack government functionaries and government installations and not create hurdles in the way of development in what is one of the most backward areas of the tribal regions.
In return the government would exempt Baitullah and his fighters, said to be in a few hundred, from prosecution for their past anti-state activities. The peace deal, however, will not extend to Abdullah Mehsud, the 29-year-old former Guantanamo detainee.
