PESHAWAR, July 7: Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in North Waziristan, NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai on Saturday asked the tribal elders to expel foreign elements from the agency.

“Time is running out. If you don’t take right decisions at this crucial juncture, you would face very tough time in the days to come,” he warned the elders.

“You must expel foreign militants from the agency,” the governor said, adding that a lasting peace in the agency could not be maintained unless these elements were rooted out.

The governor was talking to a delegation of the Utmanzai tribe of the North Waziristan Agency which was invited at the Governor’s House.

“The government has all the power to establish its writ in the tribal region through different means, including the use of force,” he warned.

Mr Aurakzai advised the tribesmen to change their direction because the way the situation was developing its consequences would be disastrous for them. “This is the time for peace and progress and the tribesmen must cash in on this opportunity,” the governor said.

“The situation in the agency is a source of concern for everybody. If it does not improve, its impact on tribesmen would be extremely adverse and damaging,” he observed.

He deplored that since the Sept 5, 2006, agreement, scores of incidents had taken place in the agency, including the cross-border movement, suicide attacks, rocket firing and kidnapping.