Mangal Bagh willing to accept Jirga decision
Sunday, July 06, 2008
By Javed Afridi
PESHAWAR: Lashkar-e-Islam chief Mangal Bagh has expressed his willingness to accept the decision of the 35-member tribal jirga negotiating peace between him and the government.
The tribal Jirga, consisting of two elders from each of the eight sub-tribes of Afridis at its inception and which has now swelled to 35 members, met the political authorities of Khyber Agency and informed them about their talks with Mangal Bagh in the remote Tirah Valley.
Satisfied with the development, the administrative head of the Khyber Agency Tariq Hayat Khan announced suspension of the ongoing operation 'Sirat-i-Mustaqeem' in the tribal agency on the 8th day of its commencement.
Speaking to reporters, head of the tribal jirga, Haji Amal Gul said that Mangal Bagh had expressed his willingness to resolve outstanding disputes with the government through talks. "He has extended his complete support to the ongoing peace efforts in Khyber Agency," Gul said.
He dispelled the impression that the Jirga was formed by the government. "The jirga members are not assigned by the government or by Mangal Bagh. It is truly an outcome of our tribal tradition that asks for talks to resolve any dispute," he said.
He appreciated the political authorities for announcing suspension of the ongoing operation after the Jirga requested for the same until negotiations were held.
Another Jirga member Haji Shaukat of the Qambarkhel tribe said the LI head did express his displeasure over the demolition of various structures in the agency and wanted the Jirga to ask the government as to why the operation was unavoidable.
He said that Mangal Bagh viewed himself to be a helper of the government agencies for he had initiated a movement against anti-social elements. "Even when the operation was being conducted against LI activists, the organisation succeeded in recovering a child kidnapped from the Kohat Road in Peshawar. The kidnappers were demanding Rs70 million as ransom for his release," the jirga member quoted Mangal Bagh as saying.
When asked if the LI men would resist forces moving towards the remote Tirah Valley, Shaukat said they did not discuss the issue with him. He, however, said that the LI chief threatened to retaliate if forces continued to push him to the wall.
The Jirga members were tight-lipped about the conditions put forth by either of the conflicting parties, but a source privy to the development said each of the side had put at least three conditions for each other.
On the government side, it wanted the defiant LI head to accept writ of the government, surrender those wanted to the authorities and furnish surety bonds for good conduct in future.
On LI's part, they demanded of the government to end the operation in the tribal agency forthwith, release all the detainees of the organisation and compensate for the structures demolished during the operation.
According to a handout issued here by Media Cell, Fata Secretariat Peshawar, the 18 members tribal jirga of the elders which returned from Tirah, where they held talks Friday with the concerned elements, Saturday met with APA Bara at Narai Khwar.
The jirga said the concerned elements were ready to deposit security with the political administration and demolish their remaining centres themselves, if any.
Moreover, the jirga also requested the administration to open Bara bazaar and remove checkpoints. The issues will be discussed again by a jirga scheduled to meet at Khyber House today (Sunday).
Meanwhile, curfew imposed at Bara subdivision since June 28, was relaxed since Friday and Saturday. However, the ban on display of arms and provisions of Section 38 of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) would remain in force till further orders.
The law enforcing agencies were patrolling the area and routine checkpoints/nakabandis at various points were intact. Till now, 92 persons have been arrested. No untoward incident was reported on Saturday, added the official communication.
Mangal Bagh willing to accept Jirga decision
