UPPER DIR, Sept 5: The army has asked two powerful tribes of Upper Dir to extend support to security forces in thwarting the nefarious designs of militants and foreign agencies for maintaining peace in the district.

Addressing a jirga of Sultankhel and Paindakhel tribes in Wari, second major town in Upper Dir, Col Kamran Khan and other army officials said that foreign agencies were fueling terrorism in the area. They were recruiting Pakistanis for the purpose, they said.

“They have been promoting terrorism in the name of jihad to make people fight against the government,” Col Kamran said.

He said that militants should not be called Taliban as they didn’t deserve it. “They are agents of foreign agencies and enemies of Pakistan,” he added.

The official asked people to keep a vigilant eye on suspected elements and extend support to security forces. He said that terrorists and their foreign sponsors would be defeated with help of people.

Col Kamran urged people to make sure that their alms and donations didn’t go in the hands of militants, who could use the same against them and the country. He praised Sultankhel and Paindakhel for rendering sacrifices for the country and supporting government in difficult times.

The elders of both the tribes including Malik Bahram Khan, Mian Sultan Yousaf, Malik Jehanzeb and Azizul Haq assured the army officials of their support and said that they would do their level best to maintain peace in the district.

There is no indigenous insurgency or active Taliban in Upper Dir but the militants, who had fled Swat and found safe havens in Afghanistan, have been carrying out cross-border attacks, mostly in the border areas of the district.

The district shares a long border with Afghanistan where army has been deployed for the first time in the history of the country.