KHAR: Tribal elders and peace volunteers from Mamond tribe in Bajaur Agency on Friday assured security forces of the continued support for peace efforts and decided to patrol hilltops in the region’s border areas to check cross-border attacks.

The decision was made during a jirga in Sevai area, where a large number of tribal elders, heads of local village defence committees and senior members of Mamond Qaumi Lashkar were in attendance.

The law and order situation in the border areas, especially in the wake of the recent cross-border attacks by militants, and ways to maintain peace came under discussion.

The elders condemned cross-border attacks in Mamond tehsil and said the Afghan government should take effective steps to check the use of its territory against Pakistan.

They showed concern over the growing border attacks and said such attacks wouldn’t be tolerated in future.

The elders said Mamond tribesmen were committed to protecting the area against foreign aggression and would render every possible sacrifice for it.

“We are determined to protect our motherland. We are united against foreign aggressors and are capable of fighting them,” said an elder.

The elders flayed the administration of Afghanistan’s Kunar province for not checking cross-border attacks in their region and said the Afghan government levelled baseless allegation against Pakistan’s security forces of bombing its installations.

They insisted Pakistani security forces respected international laws and had never targeted Afghan interests.

The elders asked the Kunar administration to ensure effective halt to cross-border attacks in Bajaur Agency.

The participants agreed to establish more checkposts in various areas along the Pak-Afghan border to check and prevent the militants’ cross-border activities in the region.

The jirga decided that volunteers of peace committee would expand patrols along Pak-Afghan border, especially on hilltops.

It announced that 10 volunteers and a senior member of every village defence committee would be take part in the anti-militant patrolling in the region’s sensitive border areas.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2014