PESHAWAR, Dec 2: Authorities in the tribal region straddling the Pakistan-Afghan border are contemplating a crackdown on Taliban and Al Qaeda elements sometimes next week, government officials in Peshawar said.
The official on condition of anonymity told Dawn the decision to launch the crackdown in a meeting held in Peshawar late last month.
The meeting that was chaired by Governor Lt Gen Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah at the Governor’s House in Peshawar was convened to discuss law and order in tribal areas.
But officials, who attended the meeting, said the alleged presence of Taliban and Al Qaeda elements in tribal areas consumed much of the meeting’s time.
Governor Iftikhar, who had met the President only a few days before the meeting in Peshawar, conveyed in no uncertain terms Gen Musharraf’s instructions for a massive crackdown to deal with suspected foreign elements in tribal areas.
Officials here acknowledged that Pakistan’s assertions that it was doing more than enough “at exorbitant costs” was not cutting much ice with the international community.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai in his recent statements asked Pakistan to do more to curb “terrorists” operating from Pakistan.
The remarks drew angry reaction from Islamabad, which asked Kabul to set its own house in order.
“The bottom-line of the meeting was that President Musharraf wanted results to convince the world that Pakistan was not playing double games and was sincere in crackdown on foreign elements, if there are any, in our tribal region”, one official said.
Officials said that the governor, after sounding out authorities from tribal regions, directed them to launch a new round of crackdown soon after Eid. They said that the governor made it clear that the government could mobilise more troops if needed in order to make the campaign a success.
Officials maintained that dates were being discussed for launching of the new round but said that it could happen in a week’s time after taking care of certain operational matters.
In this connection, according to official sources, the go- ahead had already been given to the administration in South Waziristan tribal region for launching the crackdown some time next week.
But a senior official in Peshawar, citing certain problems, said: “There could be a delay of a few days.”
He said that notices had already been served on tribes suspected of harbouring ‘foreign elements.’
Among those wanted by the authorities are Sharif Khan and Naik Mohammad from the Yargulkhel Wazir tribe. Intelligence officials have concluded that these two tribesmen were key players in organising logistical support for the Taliban fighters across the border Afghanistan.
These tribesmen have so far refused to surrender. Yargulkhel Wazir says the two men have gone into hiding and are unavailable. Officials said that the government planned to arrest Yargulkhel Wazir tribesmen under the “collective responsibility” clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation and close down their business concerns to pressure them into giving up the two accused.
The government, the official said, was also considering launching a simultaneous operation in neighbouring North Waziristan tribal region.
Discussions were also held on crackdown on ‘foreign elements’ in Bajaur and Mohmand tribal regions, too, but the administration in the two areas denied there were any Taliban or Al Qaeda militants presence.