PESHAWAR, April 9: The government has shelved its weapons purchase programme in the tribal area after receiving a lukewarm response from tribesmen, particularly in South Waziristan, officials said. An official said tribesmen did not cooperate with the political authorities and, therefore, the government decided to suspend the programme.

The NWFP Governor’s Fata Secretariat introduced the de-weaponisation programme in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in early 2005 to motivate tribesmen to voluntarily sell heavy weapons and ammunition to the government.

The officials said the scheme was specifically designed for South Waziristan but it failed to achieve the desired results.

They said the secretariat had allocated Rs20 million for purchasing illegal weapons from tribesmen at market rate.

The government had also banned display of weapons in Fata.

They said the de-weaponisation programme had become ineffective in the area, particularly in North and South Waziristan.

They said initially tribesmen in South Waziristan sold obsolete weapons to the government.

Fata Security Deputy Secretary Roohullah said that Frontier Corps was conducting the de-weaponisation campaign and the secretariat had no direct role in it.

Sources said the political administration and the FC had failed to enforce the programme in Wana and other tribal areas except the Kurram Agency.

Recently, the authorities banned display and trade of weapons in Miramshah after clashes between local Taliban and security forces last month.