November 18, 2006	Saturday	Shawwal 25, 1427

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KHAAR, Nov 17: Differences have emerged among tribal elders here over political activities in Bajaur Agency as pro-government maliks have decided to take stern action against those tribesmen who invite political leaders to the area while a meeting of tribesmen belonging to the Awami National Party has urged the government to extend the Political Parties Order to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

The meeting resolved that tribal people could no longer be deprived of their fundamental rights, including participation in political activities.

Reacting to the visit of ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan with a large number of his supporters to Bajaur on Wednesday, a jirga of pro-government elders decided to re-enforce the ban on political activities in the agency and introduced a set of actions to be taken against the violators in future.

The jirga decided to expel from the agency all those who invited political leaders, to set fire to their homes and impose a fine of Rs2 million on them.

Leaders of the ANP and agency councillors at a meeting decided to take action against those pro-government tribesmen who had created hindrance in the way of political activities in the agency.

They decided that if any tribal malik or elder was found involved in creating hurdles in the way of a visit of a political leader to the agency, his house would be set on fire and he would be fined Rs6 million.

The meeting was attended by prominent elders of Salarzai tribe, including Malik Shahabuddin, Malik Yar Zaman Khan, Malik Nazeer, Malik Abdul Salam, Malik Khanook and Malik Shah Mehmud.

They said Mr Wali was going to Chinagai village to express solidarity with the relatives of the 82 people who had been killed in the aerial attack on a seminary on Oct 30. The jirga was attended by elders of Tharkani and Utmankhel tribes, including Malik Mohammad Ayaz, Malik Amir, Malik Qadir, Malik Umer Wahid and Malik Ghulam Rasool.

They said that as the Political Parties Act had not been extended to Fata, the parties should not interfere in the tribal areas.