July 10, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 6, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, July 9: The political administration and Lashkar-i-Islam signed an agreement on Wednesday making it binding on the banned group to accept the government’s writ in the Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency.

The agreement signed by officials of the political administration and six elders of the Afridi tribe prohibits the movement of supporters of the group in Bara town and display of weapons.

The group’s chief Mangal Bagh and his men will not attack security forces and government installations.

Haji Shaukat Khan, a member of the jirga which negotiated the agreement, told Dawn that security forces would stop the operation in the area and return to barracks. He said all the people detained during the operation would be released on Thursday.

However, an official said the operation had not been called off but ‘an understanding’ had been reached in this regard.

Assistant political Agent of Bara Khalid Mumtaz Kundi and two other officials signed the agreement on behalf of the administration. Haji Amal Gul, Haji Momin Khan, Haji Shaukat, Haji Noor Behadur, Rasool Jan and Yaseen Khan of the Afridi tribe signed on behalf of the Lashkar.

Under the agreement, the curfew imposed in Bara will be lifted on Thursday.

Lashkar-i-Islam will be liable to pay a fine of Rs30 million and surrender 25 Kalashnikovs in case of violation of the agreement.