Military agrees to NWA border areas joint patrolling

PESHAWAR: After consultation with representatives of the youth in Mir Ali subdivision, the political administration of North Waziristan and the military agreed to conduct joint patrolling and depute joint teams at entrance and exit points to overcome target killing and other crimes in the militancy-torn North Waziristan Agency, sources told The News.

It was also decided that in future local youth would have proper representation in the jirgas of tribal elders for official meetings with the political administration, army or any other government dignitaries.

The educated youth in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has been demanding since long that young and educated people should be given representation in the jirgas so they could play their role in getting rights for the common man.

The tribal elders and Maliks are mostly held responsible for the backwardness of the tribal areas.

The young tribesmen recently staged a protest sit-in in Mir Ali town in North Waziristan against target killing of the local people. They demanded security from the political administration and military authorities against such incidents.

It was the first time that young tribesmen staged a protest sit-in in North Waziristan against growing insecurity and lawlessness in the wake of the return of the tribespeople who were displaced in 2014 as a result of the military operation Zarb-e-Azb.

They protested peacefully for more than a week and finally succeeded in getting the attention of the local administration and military authorities.

The authorities engaged local tribal elders to negotiate with the protesting youth.

The elders had to shuttle between Mir Ali and Miranshah. They finally succeeded in inking an agreement between the two sides.

After getting an assurance from the local administration through the jirga members, the young tribesmen ended the sit-in in the hope the government would honour its commitment.

According to tribal elders, it was decided that both the local administration and army troops would conduct joint patrolling at different places, particularly near the residential areas to prevent non-local and suspicious people from entering there.

It was agreed that joint teams of the Levies and Pakistan army would be deployed at the entrance and exist points to block the entry of outsiders, terrorists and criminals. But it seems difficult as one can easily enter North Waziristan from many sides.

The good thing is that the Pakistan Army has fenced the previously porous border with Afghanistan’s Khost province. Additional security measures were taken by establishing forts and security outposts manned by the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC).

It was also decided that a special security plan would be devised for protection of worshippers during prayers at the mosques, including Taraveeh prayers.

Another major demand called for compensation for the houses and other infrastructure damaged during the military operation.

The protesting youths were told that local military authorities had already raised the issue with the Prime Minister and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions.

The protestors also demanded provision of arms to the Khassadar force at village level so they could better perform their duties. The issue is said to have been raised with the Inspector General of Frontier Corps (IGFC).

According to tribesmen, 10 people have been killed in incidents of target killing in North Waziristan in the past one month.

They said that two girls’ schools were also blown up in Hassukhel village in Mir Ali last week.

Besides these incidents of terrorism, the tribesmen said a wedding ceremony was attacked with hand-grenades in Hamzoni village that left two people dead and 30 injured.

The latest terrorist incident took place in Shawal valley in which six Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred and one was injured last Sunday. It was stated to be a cross-border attack staged from Afghanistan.

According to tribesmen, pamphlets were circulated in different areas in North Waziristan asking people to close schools and stop sending girls to schools.

The protesting tribesmen said that armed men had been sighted in different villages roaming during the night with their faces covered.

Some of the tribesmen claimed that former hardcore militants, who had surrendered to the law-enforcement agencies, could be behind the ongoing target killing spree.

Recently when Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited North Waziristan along with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and other dignitaries, a noted tribal elder and chieftain of North Waziristan, Malik Nasrullah Khan said he had asked the prime minister to help them rid of both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban.