WANA, Nov 11: Five most wanted tribal militants on Thursday signed an agreement with the government, pledging to live peacefully and not to harbour foreign militants in South Waziristan.

Yargulkhel, Kurmezkhel and Malikkhel, three sub-clans of the main Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, signed the agreement with the authorities in Wana on behalf of the five militants, including Haji Mohammad Omar who had been declared successor to the slain militant commander, Nek Mohammad.

Four other militants are Maulana Abdul Aziz, Haji Sharif, Maulvi Abbas and Mohammad Javed.

"The tribes have deposited Rs10 million as guarantee for each of the five militants," said Brigadier Mehmood Shah, the security chief (Fata), in Peshawar.

Sources said that the wanted men did not appear in person before the local authorities. But the Fata security chief said the five were produced before the assistant political agent, Khan Bakhsh, by tribal elders following which they were released on furnishing of the guarantees. They said that they were not harbouring foreign militants, he added.

"With the production of these five wanted men hailing from the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, now no tribesman is required to the government from that tribe," he clarified.

Initially, Mr Shah said, the five militants put forward certain conditions, but the government did not accept them and they were asked to negotiate with the authorities through their respective tribes.

"The tribes have assured that the wanted men would not use Pakistani soil for any negative activity, and that they would show good conduct," Mr Shah said.

In last May, an agreement between these persons (including the late Nek Muhammad) and the administration had been reached in Shakai. However, that agreement collapsed as differences erupted between the two sides over the production of foreign militants for registration.

Col (retd) Inamullah Khan Wazir, who brokered the latest deal, refused to give details.

"The government and the wanted persons have entered into an agreement. Under the terms, the wanted persons will live peacefully and deny sanctuary to foreign militants," Col Wazir told Dawn.

The sources said the government had pardoned them upon their assurance to live peacefully.

The government was also likely to release 123 tribesmen from Wana jail on Friday who had been arrested under section 21 of the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

Officials said that after completing investigation, all low-category prisoners would be released soon.