KHAAR, March 26: Tribesmen in the Bajaur agency gave on Monday an undertaking to the government to deny shelter to “locals as well as foreigners, including Afghans” involved in terrorist or anti-state activities.
The five-point undertaking was signed by 800 tribal elders at a jirga held at the regional headquarters of the agency in Khaar. It was signed by tribal region’s administrator Shakeel Qadir Khan as a witness.
The meeting was attended by elders from two major tribes, Utmankhel and Tarkhani, ulema, parliamentarians and officials of the political administration.
“This is an undertaking and not an agreement. This is an undertaking by the tribesmen and the government is not a party to it. We have not pledged anything in return,” the administrator said.
“It has taken some time for things to deteriorate and it is going to take some time to put things back on the track,” Mr Shakeel Qadir told Dawn on phone from Khaar.
“This is a long process. But I am confident that the tribes would abide by the undertaking. They know it and we know it that it is an undertaking that is binding on them,” he added.
Damadola in Bajaur twice came under aerial bombing, once by the Americans on a cluster of houses, ostensibly aimed at killing Al Qaeda No 2, Dr Ayman Al-Zawahiri, in January 2006, while Pakistan owned up the second air assault in October last year on a seminary it claimed was being used to train militants.
Analysts say the undertaking is carefully worded and the government’s decision to bind the tribe and not to become a party to it makes quite significant. It is different from the agreement that was reached with militants in South and North Waziristan where the government capitulated to the militants and agreed to all their conditions.
The undertaking binds all tribes in the Bajaur region not to provide shelter to anyone, local or foreigner, including Afghan refugees, who are involved in terrorist or anti-state activities.
The tribes also pledged neither to support nor keep contacts with such elements and on the basis of information or evidence they would cooperate with and provide all possible assistance to the government and jointly take action against any foreigner or Afghan.
They also undertook to abide by all agreements signed with the federal government, with tribes or with the administration (in the tribal region) and would honour any agreement aimed at promoting peace and development in the area.
The tribal elders undertook to fully cooperate with all government and non-governmental organisations permitted by the government to work for peace and development in the area.
The tribes also pledged to be fully responsible for protecting all government and private property and staff. They pledged that they would “neither engage in any terrorist or militant activity detrimental to the honour and dignity of Pakistan, nor would they support any such action”.
“We pledge that the tribes of Bajaur will be accountable before the government of Pakistan and the political administration if there is any violation of the above-mentioned clauses, in which case the punishment will be carried out in accordance with the law and customs of the area and tribes,” the last point in the undertaking said.
The undertaking came after intense behind-the-scene negotiations between influential tribal elders, including Malik Shahabuddin, Malik Abdul Aziz and Malik Shah Mehmood, and wanted militant leader Maulana Faqir Mohammad, informed sources told Dawn.
At a meeting held last week, the militant leader vowed his allegiance to his tribe and agreed to the terms and conditions of the undertaking given by the Mamond tribe.
