WANA, May 29: Political authorities in the remote South Waziristan tribal region on Saturday rounded up dozens of Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen as part of a strategy to pressure them into turning over foreign militants for registration.

The latest action is reminiscent of a similar operation on October 8 last year when authorities in the tribal region had arrested 32 Zalikhel tribesmen and impounded 20 vehicles.

As one analyst put it, the government has come full circle as far as dealing with the issue of foreign militants and their tribal facilitators is concerned.

"It looks like as if we are trapped in a time warp," remarked one official.

In the latest crackdown on Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, the authorities rounded up 34 tribesmen besides nine notables from the Zalikhel tribe.

The tribal notables include Malik Khanzada Khan, who is also the brother of a sitting political agent of Bajaur.

Incidentally, it is the same Khanzada Khan whose hujra had earlier been chosen by the government to serve as the site for the registration of foreign militants early this month under the failed April 24 Shakai agreement between the military and tribal militants.

The deal, which had won amnesty for the five most wanted tribal militants, collapsed over disagreement between the two sides on the question of registration of foreign militants.

Officials told Dawn that the other tribal notables picked up in Saturday's crackdown under the collective responsibility clause of the 1901 British-time Frontier Crimes Regulation include Malik Noor Ali, Malik Zardullah Khan, Malik Atlas Khan, Malik Abdullah Sarkikhel, Malik Muhammad Anwar, Malik Sarwar, Malik Zangi Khan and Malik Mirullah Khan.

The crackdown came a day after NWFP Governor Lt-Gen Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah delivered a hard-hitting speech at a jirga of tribal elders at Wana, the regional headquarters.