September 07, 2007	Friday	Sha'aban 24, 1428

KHAR, Sept 6: Clerics, tribal elders and the political administration have agreed to set up committees at village level under the collective and territorial responsibility law to keep an eye on the activities of militants in Bajaur Agency.

Two jirga of Ulema and tribal elders, comprising 250 members, held a joint meeting with the political authorities in the agency’s headquarters on Wednesday and briefed them about their talks with militants.

Another jirga comprising 48 tribal elders and religious leaders left for an unspecified location to hold further talks with the Taliban leadership to bring back peace to the area, sources said.

The meeting agreed that small committees would be set up at the village level to keep watch and help the authorities find out elements who were disturbing the law and order situation in the tribal agency, sources said.

The Ulema’s jirga was led by Senator Maulana Abdur Rashid, while other was headed by tribal elder Malik Abdul Aziz. Political Agent Shafirullah Khan and other officials attended the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Malik Abdul Aziz said that the Taliban denied having any role in terrorist activities and attacking government installations and security forces in the Bajaur Agency.

“They (Taliban) said that they have no hand in the attacks on security forces or government installations.” He said, urging that security forces should exercise patience and wait for the outcome of the talks with the militants.

He demanded that the administration should pay compensation for the tribesmen who died or were injured during operations by the security forces.

Senator Maulana Abdur Rashid briefed the meeting about the Ulema’s talks with the Taliban leadership, saying that they (Taliban) claimed they were peace loving and patriotic citizens of the country. The Taliban were quoted as having said that they were neither involved in attacks on security forces and government installations, nor they supported terrorist activities, Maulana Rashid said.

The jirga members placed a number of proposals before the meeting to check the law and order situation.