PESHAWAR, April 26: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday hinted at withdrawing troops from tribal areas if tribesmen cooperated with the government in its efforts to eliminate terrorism.

Addressing a grand tribal jirga here at the Governor’s House, the president dwelt at length on the menace of extremism and its domestic, regional and global implications.

The president urged tribal elders to use the traditional jirga system to curb terrorism and said it would enable the federal government to minimise the deployment of security forces and subsequently withdraw them from their areas.

Stressing the need for eradicating terrorism, he said it was vital to maintain peace for the sake of the country’s development, integrity and solidarity.

The president promised to double the annual development programme funding if the tribesmen cooperated and brought peace in tribal areas, adding that the annual ADP funding for Fata would be raised from Rs5 billion to Rs10 billion.

The president also promised that the government would accord their products duty-free access to market besides increasing the number of development projects for tribal areas.

“I am ready to sanction a mega project in Fata region if the people cooperate with the government in its endeavour to purge terrorists and extremists from tribal areas,” he said.

He said that terrorists were pursuing their own selfish agenda and they were neither well-wishers of tribesmen nor of Islam.

The president explained how terrorists had tarnished the image of Islam which, contrary to its inherent peaceful nature, was being misperceived abroad as a religion promoting intolerance, militancy and terrorism.

The impression, he said, could not be removed as long as terrorists remained active in tribal areas. He said it was imperative to take drastic action to curb the twin menace of terrorism and extremism, adding that it was embarrassing to hear complaints about its spread from dignitaries from friendly countries, like China with whom “our relations are deeper than oceans and higher than mountains”.

Referring to the notion of Talibanisatin, the president said that Islam prohibited anyone from imposing his will or ideas upon others.

President Musharraf said that the country was at a critical juncture, adding that failure to pursue the path of wisdom would have serious consequences.

“The nation demands sacrifice and solidarity and I am sure you will not hesitate to play your role,” he told jirga members.

He advised tribesmen to differentiate between their well-wishers and enemies and said foreign terrorists were using “our soil to fulfil their nefarious designs and putting them (tribesmen) in trouble and danger”.

“I assure you that these foreigners are not your friends and they are here to fulfil their own agenda, which has nothing to do with Islam,” he said.

Referring to the Baujaur incident, he said it involved a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

The jirga was also attended by NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani. — APP