MIRAMSHAH, Jan 8: Military authorities here on Sunday gave a one-week deadline to the Utmanzai tribe in the North Waziristan Agency to hand over the accused involved in the killing and kidnapping of paramilitary troops. “The tribe should fulfil its legal responsibilities and surrender the culprits within a week, otherwise security forces will use full-scale force,” Major-Gen Akram Sahi told elders of the Utmanzai tribe in Miramshah.
Officials said that authorities had asked tribesmen to hand over miscreants who attacked a check-post near the Khaisaro Bridge in Mirali Tehsil of North Waziristan on Friday night, killing eight soldiers and kidnapping 11 others.
Earlier, the Utmanzai tribe rejected the military’s demand and expressed ignorance as to who had attacked the check-post.
A jirga, held in Eisokhel village of Mirali tehsil, unanimously demanded of the government to remove security forces from the area.
The tribesmen decided that they were ready to cooperate with security forces to identify the attackers.
The jirga, which was addressed by Malik Sher Khan and Maulvi Mohammad Dindar, condemned the helicopter attack on Eisokhel village and demanded the immediate release of tribesmen.
Later, tribe elders proceeded to Miramshah to discuss the situation with senior military officials and political administration of the agency.
Sources said that security forces arrested four people in the Frontier Region of Bannu on Saturday when they were taking a wounded man from Mirali to Peshawar. They said that security forces had also taken the wounded man into custody.
Tension prevailed in the volatile region where more than 16 people were killed and nine others were wounded in two different incidents on Friday night.
Officials said that the commanding officer of the army, Major-Gen Akram Sahi, turned down the demand of the Utmanzai tribe to withdraw troops from the Eisokhel village.
He said that paramilitary forces would reconstruct the check-post and warned that the army would use full force, if troops came under attack in the area in future.
The authorities have handed over a list of 10 people of the Utmanzai tribe, who have been accused of attacking the check-post.
Meanwhile, NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman and Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Mohammad Hamid Khan reaffirmed their resolve to establish the writ of the government in North Waziristan Agency and restore peace in the area at all cost.
A handout said that the governor and corps commander met in Peshawar on Sunday to review the law and order situation and the attack on one of the pickets of the Frontier Corps at Eisokhel village in Mirali.
