Staff Report
PESHAWAR: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani told leading Ahmedzai Wazir elders on Thursday that military had not come to Tribal Areas for operations against local and foreign terrorists alone.
“We have not come for fighting (the terrorists) alone. We have come here to help develop your areas,” Kayani told a jirga of Ahmedzai Wazir tribes in Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan. A Wazir elder who participated in the jirga said that Gen Kayani told the elders that whatever development promises the army had made they were fulfilled.
“Last year, I promised Cadet College and today we have made it operational. I promised electricity and it will come soon. We promised Wana-Angoor Adda expressway and its construction is on,” Kayani was quoted as saying during the jirga. Kayani visited South Waziristan headquarters especially for inauguration of Wana Cadet College – a reward for the Ahmedzai Wazir tribes’ unflinching support against the foreign terrorists.
A journalist, who attended the jirga and was unwilling to be named, said the body language of Kayani did not reflect that post-Abbottabad situation had brought him under any pressure. “Wazir tribes stood by the army,” the army chief told the tribal elders who pledged to keep their areas off to “unwanted elements,” a reference to terrorists.
“We will support peace and help the government achieve this goal,” the tribal elders responded to the military chief who said the Wazirs should keep close eye on terrorists as it “is against the dignity and honour” of the Wazir tribes. Kayani said he was leaving for Kotkai, once stronghold of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, to inaugurate Kotkai-Jandola road construction after this jirga, reassuring the Ahmedzai Wazir tribes that Mehsud areas were totally taken back from the Mehsud terrorists.
General Officer Commanding of South Waziristan Maj Gen Rizwan Akhter warned the Ahmedzai Wazir elders that their areas were used in plotting terrorist attacks across the country. “Whatever happens in the country one way or the other is linked to Wana. We want the local tribes to keep their areas guarded” against elements damaging peace. “The government is bound by the 2007 peace agreement. But its violations are talking place from (Wazir) side. Even if my brother provides shelter to a foreigner (terrorist) he would be my enemy,” he told Wednesday visiting media personnel from Islamabad having been flown in a day before for Kayani’s visit coverage.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedzai Wazir elders won Taliban leader Mullah Nazir’s support to the 2007 peace deal reached between them after flushing out the Uzbek terrorists from their areas in popular uprising. “We have finally been able to meet (Mullah) Nazir and convinced him that he should continue to stand by the peace deal which stipulates that no foreign terrorist would be allowed to stay in Ahmedzai Wazir areas,” tribal sources close with knowledge of the meeting between the ‘peace committee’ members and the Taliban leader told Daily Times by phone from Wana.
The sources said the meeting by the peace committee “cooled down the temper” of Mullah Nazir who was “upset” by several drone strikes and military-led search-and-cordon operations in Wazir areas since last month. “We made Mullah Nazir understand Pakistan’s limitations to stop the drone strikes and the military’s search operation by reminding him that 2007 peace deal allows no space to foreign terrorists on Wazir soil,” the sources quoted peace committee members as telling the Taliban leader.
PESHAWAR: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani told leading Ahmedzai Wazir elders on Thursday that military had not come to Tribal Areas for operations against local and foreign terrorists alone.
“We have not come for fighting (the terrorists) alone. We have come here to help develop your areas,” Kayani told a jirga of Ahmedzai Wazir tribes in Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan. A Wazir elder who participated in the jirga said that Gen Kayani told the elders that whatever development promises the army had made they were fulfilled.
“Last year, I promised Cadet College and today we have made it operational. I promised electricity and it will come soon. We promised Wana-Angoor Adda expressway and its construction is on,” Kayani was quoted as saying during the jirga. Kayani visited South Waziristan headquarters especially for inauguration of Wana Cadet College – a reward for the Ahmedzai Wazir tribes’ unflinching support against the foreign terrorists.
A journalist, who attended the jirga and was unwilling to be named, said the body language of Kayani did not reflect that post-Abbottabad situation had brought him under any pressure. “Wazir tribes stood by the army,” the army chief told the tribal elders who pledged to keep their areas off to “unwanted elements,” a reference to terrorists.
“We will support peace and help the government achieve this goal,” the tribal elders responded to the military chief who said the Wazirs should keep close eye on terrorists as it “is against the dignity and honour” of the Wazir tribes. Kayani said he was leaving for Kotkai, once stronghold of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, to inaugurate Kotkai-Jandola road construction after this jirga, reassuring the Ahmedzai Wazir tribes that Mehsud areas were totally taken back from the Mehsud terrorists.
General Officer Commanding of South Waziristan Maj Gen Rizwan Akhter warned the Ahmedzai Wazir elders that their areas were used in plotting terrorist attacks across the country. “Whatever happens in the country one way or the other is linked to Wana. We want the local tribes to keep their areas guarded” against elements damaging peace. “The government is bound by the 2007 peace agreement. But its violations are talking place from (Wazir) side. Even if my brother provides shelter to a foreigner (terrorist) he would be my enemy,” he told Wednesday visiting media personnel from Islamabad having been flown in a day before for Kayani’s visit coverage.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedzai Wazir elders won Taliban leader Mullah Nazir’s support to the 2007 peace deal reached between them after flushing out the Uzbek terrorists from their areas in popular uprising. “We have finally been able to meet (Mullah) Nazir and convinced him that he should continue to stand by the peace deal which stipulates that no foreign terrorist would be allowed to stay in Ahmedzai Wazir areas,” tribal sources close with knowledge of the meeting between the ‘peace committee’ members and the Taliban leader told Daily Times by phone from Wana.
The sources said the meeting by the peace committee “cooled down the temper” of Mullah Nazir who was “upset” by several drone strikes and military-led search-and-cordon operations in Wazir areas since last month. “We made Mullah Nazir understand Pakistan’s limitations to stop the drone strikes and the military’s search operation by reminding him that 2007 peace deal allows no space to foreign terrorists on Wazir soil,” the sources quoted peace committee members as telling the Taliban leader.