July 11, 2008	Friday	Rajab 7, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 10: The curfew which had been in force in Bara for over a week has been lifted, but paramilitary forces will remain in the area, according to the administrator of Khyber Agency, Tariq Hayat Khan.

“Operation Sirat-i-Mustaqim had only one goal: to re-establish the writ of the state and that objective has been achieved,” he told Dawn on Thursday.

About incursions into Peshawar and the threat to the city, he said: “We have got an effective undertaking on that too.”

A jirga of Afridi tribe from Bara region has signed a 14-point undertaking pledging to accept the writ of the state and stop incursions into the provincial capital.

Paramilitary forces launched the operation on June 28, ostensibly to take action against Mangal Bagh’s Lashkar-i-Islam moral brigade after its armed activists carried out a series of incursions into Peshawar.

The undertaking has been signed by 14 tribal elders from different Afridi clans and the administrator.

“We have negotiated the undertaking with the tribes and not with any militant outfit,” the official insisted. “If they have discussed it with anyone, it is their headache and not mine.”

The tribal jirga had shuttled between the political administration and Mangal Bagh before arriving at the understanding.

Under the accord, law-enforcement agencies, forces and public property will not be attacked and target killings will be stopped; armed patrolling will be undertaken only by law-enforcement personnel; parallel institutions will not be established and the political administration will be approached for resolving disputes in cooperation with Afridi tribes and in accordance with the Frontier Crimes Regulations and riwaj.

No incursion will be made into Peshawar district and other settled areas adjacent to Bara. Foreigners in the area, if any, will leave Pakistan.

Government employees and security personnel will not be threatened; all tribes and Khasadars will be responsible for keeping the roads safe in accordance with tribal traditions.

All Khasadars and government employees will report for duty and they will not be removed or pressurised to leave their jobs; they will be allowed to shoot to death miscreants involved in criminal activities and their action will be protected under Section 38 of the FCR and tribal traditions.

Development projects will not be obstructed; the tribe in whose territory the development work is being undertaken shall be responsible for the protection of all workers — Pakistanis and foreigners — government officials, contractors and the labour.

If any non-local proclaimed offender is under protection of any tribe, the tribe will be responsible for his good conduct. Otherwise, the government reserves the right to take action in accordance with the FCR and riwaj.

No (terrorist) training camp will be established. If information about a training camp or suicide bombing centre is received, the political administration will call the tribe concerned for verification and necessary action. If the tribe fails to take action, the government reserves the right to act according to the FCR and riwaj.

There will be a ban on carrying and display of weapons, except licensed ones, in government buildings and in Bara bazaar. However, tribal volunteers will be able to carry arms, permits for which will be issued by the administration to maintain peace under the supervision of a committee representing all Afridi clans.

No propaganda shall be undertaken against Pakistan and its institutions. Parties to the undertaking will take collective measures to counter propaganda pamphlets and CDs.

There will be no ban on weapons in the tribal territory in accordance with the tribal traditions. However, a ban on heavy weapons will continue.

According to the undertaking, “this agreement will come into force immediately after the signatures” and its provisions will be implemented within two weeks.

The accord also provides for the formation of a 13-member committee of local elders, headed by the deputy administrator, to meet on a monthly basis to consider any violation and give recommendations within 72 hours.

The undertaking fixes a fine of Rs30 million for violation. In addition to 26 people already in custody, another 10 people will be handed over to the administration with 25 Kalashnikov rifles as surety.