The members of traditional tribal jirga Sunday told Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masud Kausar that the militants associated with Haqqani network and Tehrik Taliban headed by Hakimullah Mehsud did not existed in North Waziristan.
The jirga members made the claims during a meeting with Kausar at the Governor’s House late on Saturday night. The 16-member tribal elders were representing the Dawar and Wazir tribesmen of North Waziristan Agency. The US-led allies are focussing on the tribal district while pressing Pakistan for a military action against the militants, allegedly slipping in from the adjacent South Waziristan. Malik Nasarullah Khan, Malik Qadar Khan, Malik Mamoor Khan and Maulvi Gul Ramzan were prominent amongst the tribal elders. During the jirga, they informed the governor about their problems and hardships and presented proposals for development schemes in the area. Nasarullah, when contacted, told Pakistan Today, “We requested the governor for early execution of development schemes in North Waziristan Agency. There is complete peace and tranquillity in North Waziristan; therefore, the government needs to go for early resumption of development activities in the region.” In response to a question, he denied the presence of Haqqani network in North Waziristan.
To support his claim, the tribal elder recalled that Tariq Hayat while serving as the political agent in the agency had claimed flushing out all Afghans from the area. Similarly, he also rejected the reports about the presence of Taliban militant’s loyal to Hakimullah Mehsud. He said the peaceful Mehsud tribesmen were not only residing in North Waziristan Agency but also across the country.
Maulvi Gul Ramzan, who is listed amongst the close aides to the wanted Taliban militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadar, was also part of the jirga and said neither the Haqqani network nor the Taliban (Hakimullah Mehsud) militants were present in North Waziristan. He said Gul Bahadar had already declared that his loyalists would not carry out terrorist acts inside Pakistan. “Even Hafiz Gul Bahadar has warned of taking stern action against all those who are involved in a terrorist act in any part of Pakistan,” he told Masud Kausar. According to Gul Ramzan, there is complete peace in North Waziristan and Gul Bahadar has assured of complete support and protection to government functionaries and officials engaged in development activities in the area. About the Haqqani Network, almost of the jirga members took the stance that it was present in the agency during the war against former Soviet Union. The network had made a great contribution in the war but it no more existed in North Waziristan.
The governor assured the jirga members of visiting the agency at the earliest where he would announce a comprehensive development plan for the region.
No Haqqanis or Taliban in North Waziristan: jirga
