BAJAUR: Elders of Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur district on Tuesday resolved not to harbour militants and strangers in their areas and decided to appoint watchmen to safeguard the region against suspicious individuals.

The elders made the decisions during a jirga of various sub-tribes held in the Tali area.

About 100 notable elders and area chiefs attended the jirga, which aimed to devise a robust strategy to safeguard the region against the entry of suspicious individuals, in light of the ongoing anti-terrorism operations in several areas of the neighbouring Lowi Mamund tehsil.

The participants noted that the law and order in the entire region was satisfactory.

However, many participants, including youth leaders, observed that the presence of terrorists and the ongoing operations against them in several areas of Lowi Mamund had heightened security worries among the local population.

They said presence of terrorists in Lowi Mamund and the ongoing operations against them could have a spillover effect, hence it’s imperative to devise a joint strategy to effectively address any potential situation.

The participants recalled that the people and elders of Salarzai tehsil had earned a reputation for keeping the region safe from anti-peace elements during the 2008-09 militancy and war on terror.

The jirga also resolved that the local residents would not provide shelter to terrorists and their supporters, and that strangers and non-locals would not be allowed to live or stay in the area.

The jirga also resolved that if any terrorists attempted to enter the region, local residents would take joint action against them.

As per the jirga’s decision, armed vigilante groups comprising local residents will be constituted to patrol the area at night.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2025