PESHAWAR, May 13: Governor Khalilur Rehman has said a tribal jirga has been constituted for political and negotiated settlement of problems of Waziristan.

The jirga comprises leading elders from all the seven tribal agencies and the Frontier Regions.

The governor was speaking at a ceremony held here on Saturday to distribute compensation cheques to heirs of tribesmen and officials killed and wounded in operations in South Waziristan Agency in 2004.

The governor hoped that the representative jirga would succeed in settling issues under local customs and traditions and urged tribesmen to cooperate with the jirga.

Fifty cheques were distributed among victim families – 39 cheques of Rs500,000 each were given to relatives of those killed, 10 cheques of Rs200,000 each to critically injured people and one cheque of Rs50,000 to a person with minor injuries.

Frontier Corps inspector-general Maj-Gen Mohammad Alam Khattak, Fata secretary Mohammad Shahzad Arbab, Secretary to Governor Arbab Mohammad Arif, political agents and tribal elders attended the ceremony.

The governor said the government would continue to help affected people.

He urged tribesmen to root out those elements which were causing disturbances in their areas and help the government in its efforts.

Speaking on behalf of affected people, a tribal elder,

Malik Ghanam Gul Mehsud, thanked the government and the governor for the compensation.

He said the future of tribesmen was attached to Pakistan and they were ready to offer sacrifices for the country and cooperate with the administration in restoration of peace in the region.

Fateha was also offered for innocent people who had lost their lives during the operations.

Earlier this week, authorities had paid Rs7.5 million to 15 people, including relatives of militant Nek Mohammad and his three comrades killed in a missile attack near Wana.

The compensation was paid in accordance with an agreement reached between authorities and tribesmen in 2004

that payment would be made

to people killed in the ope-ration in South Waziristan Agency.

Sources said one of the major reasons for the ongoing tension in Waziristan was the delay in payment of compensation to tribesmen for the loss of lives and property.