July 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rajab 08, 1428

PESHAWAR, July 23: Negotiations between the government and the militants from North Waziristan Agency have entered a critical phase, with both sides sticking to their demands. Members of the inter-tribal jirga have sought more time for a purposeful dialogue.

The jirga members held a meeting with NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai on Monday and briefed him on the talks they held with militant commanders and elders of the Utmanzai tribe in North Waziristan for two days.

The 45-member jirga, comprising parliamentarians and elders from seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions will reassemble in Peshawar on Tuesday to hold talks. They would later call on the governor to brief him on their discussions.

A jirga member who attended the meeting held at the Governor House on Monday told Dawn that the governor had linked withdrawal of the security forces from check posts with fresh guarantees from the militants to end attacks on security forces, target killings and cross-border infiltration.

“Mr Aurakzai reiterated that the government wanted to keep the peace deal intact, but in the same breath he sought ‘firm guarantees’ from the Utmanzai tribe and militants to end suicide bombings, attacks on forces and infiltration from the tribal areas into Afghanistan,” the jirga member said.

He said the militants had sought the removal of troops from check posts before holding more talks in order to arrive at an amicable solution to the prevailing situation. He said that militants had also demanded compensation for the families who had lost their relatives during the military operations.

“The jirga members are also in a fix over the status of any decision which they will take as under the Pakhtun customs the decision of the jirga is binding on both rival groups. If the inter-tribal jirga takes any decision, the two sides would accept it in letter and spirit,” he said.

After a series of target killings, kidnapping of government officials, attacks on forces and continuous cross-border movement of the militants, the government redeployed troops at check posts in the troubled region early this month.

Following the deployment of the troops, the Taliban unilaterally scrapped the peace deal they signed with the government on Sep 5. The government claimed that militants and the Utmanzai tribe had failed to honour the peace deal, due to which troops were redeployed at check posts.

Sources said that militant commanders had assured the jirga members that if the government pulled out troops from check posts they would ensure halting attacks on the security forces and cross-border infiltration.

“We are optimistic about the positive outcome of the talks as both parties are willing to keep the deal intact. But this is very complex issue, which needs more time and determination,” said another member of the jirga.