Ahmadullah Ahmadi, spokesman for the militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan, in a written statement delivered to the members of the media said that they had made the peace agreement with the government to restore peace and protect the tribespeople. “If our people and our jirgas aren’t safe from the missile strikes by the drones, we feel that our peace accord with the government won’t last. We could end this agreement as it is no longer possible to tolerate the martyrdom of our innocent people,” he argued.

Ahmadi was critical of the Pakistan Army military commander in North Waziristan, Maj Gen Ghayoor Mahmood, for justifying the US drone strikes and said his remarks paved the way for the Americans to attack the tribal jirga with their missiles. “We have taken note of General Ghayoor’s remarks. We would take our revenge,” he threatened.

The spokesman said they already knew that the US was firing missiles with their drones at the behest and cooperation of Pakistan government. “Talking to national and international media in North Waziristan recently, Maj Gen Ghayoor Mahmood said the drone strikes were on target. We now say that the drone attack on the tribal jirga in Dattakhel has showed to the world whether these strikes were on target or not,” he said.

The spokesman alleged that General Ghayoor’s statement was meant to appease the Americans. “It emboldened the US and it has started attacking jirgas after firing missiles earlier to kill innocent tribespeople,” he claimed.