GHALANAI, July 31: Tribal elders on Tuesday held their first round of negotiations with militants occupying a mosque and the adjacent shrine of Haji Sahib Torangzai in Mohmand Agency’s Lakaro area.

The Safi tribe had constituted an eight-member committee to deal with the situation and held talks with militant leader Umar Khalid to persuade him to end the occupation.

A committee member said the militants agreed to continue their talks with the tribal elders.

The militant leader announced that religious education would soon start in the compound. The group of militants had taken over the mosque on Saturday night last and renamed it ‘Lal Masjid’.

A joint jirga comprising five major clans of the Mohmand tribe, including Turekzai, Baizai, Khuwazai, Haleemzai and Utmankhel was held in Ghalanai.

About 200 elders and political agent Kazim Niaz discussed the situation. After addressing the jirga, Mr Niaz told journalists that the people of Mohmand Agency had very strong traditions and they could resolve the issue through negotiations.

The jirga decided to give time to the Safi tribe to remove the militants from the mosque, he said.