April 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 15: The action committee of Khalil and Mohmand tribes, formed against the Bara-based militant group Lashkar-i-Islam, succumbed to pressure and many of its members surrendered to the militants.

The committee was constituted following the killing of 12 persons and injuring 15 others on March 3 by the militants at Shaikhan village in order to devise a strategy for the protection of lives and properties of the residents of various villages in the Badbher and Sarband areas became victim of internal differences among its elders. The sixty-member action committee was consisting of elders from various communities like Khattak, Paracha, Khalil, Mohmand and Shaikhan. They had taken oath to remain united and take action against the militants, who according to them were responsible for killing of innocent people and torching their houses.

The difference among the committee members surfaced when some of them reportedly approached Mangal Bagh, chief of the militant organisation, to resolve the issues through dialogue. While some other members of the committee said that they were not taken into confidence about the move and their colleagues contacted the militants secretly.

A source said that some of the elders were either owners of the public transport vehicles plying on Peshawar-Bara Road or doing business in the tribal areas so they could not continue their business activities against the will of Mangal Bagh there.

A member of the action committee, Nasir Khan, when contacted said that a group of elders including Haji Attaullah, Haji Khan Jan, Burhan, Gul Rehman, Ghulam Akbar and Haji Hayat met Mangal Bagh and were favouring resolution of the issue through talks.

Only a handful elders were trying to contact Mangal Bagh while majority of the committee members, he claimed, were against the initiative. He admitted that the action committee was no more intact and split into two groups.