WANA, May 19: A top tribal militant warned on Wednesday that another military operation would create a crisis for the whole country as a lashkar torched the house of a tribesman for interfering with its hunt for foreign militants in South Waziristan.

"The government should desist from launching another operation," Nek Mohammad told Dawn here. "The flames of any new (military) operation will spread to the whole of Pakistan," he said.

The 27-year-old militant and four other fellow tribesmen were granted pardon by the government on April 24 at Shakai, following a pledge by them to remain peaceful and not indulge in any anti-state activity.

The tribal militant, who until last week had vowed to abide by the Shakai Agreement and remain neutral in the government's hunt for foreign militants, also said he would resist an operation, whether by the military or his own tribesmen.

Nek Mohammad said that he had been assured that the military action would be against foreign fighters who had fled Afghanistan and taken shelter in South Waziristan after the fall of the Taliban.

"But now it has become clear that the government wants to hunt down even those who have been living with us for the past 20 to 30 years. I will fully resist any action against them whether it comes from the military forces or our own tribal lashkar," he warned.

He repeated his assertion that the registration of foreign militants was not part of the Shakai Agreement. He said that the government later tried to unilaterally enforce the Wana Agreement, which, he added, was not acceptable to him.

"The government is now trying to wriggle out of the agreement on one pretext or the other. In these circumstances, we will fully resist any government attempt to launch an operation against foreigners."

Meanwhile, a tribal lashkar of about 1,200 volunteers swept through Raghzai, about 20km to the west of Wana and warned locals against giving shelter to foreign militants.

Commander of the lashkar, Allagai Wazir told tribesmen anyone found giving shelter to foreign militants would face demolition of his house, fine of Rs1 million and banishment from the tribal territory.

Later, the lashkar torched down the house of a local tribesman, Sher Khan Tojikhel, who had attempted to stop drummers from beating the drums, while accompanying the lashkar as per tribal custom.

"He has interfered with the tribal lashkar and therefore is liable to face punishment," he announced. The armed volunteers attacked the house and burnt it down. There was no one inside the house and no resistance was offered, witnesses said. The tribal lashkar will proceed to Shakai, about 17km to the west of Wana on Thursday to look for foreign militants.