Shift in Afghan approach: Kabul promised to dismantle TTP safe havens

The new administration in Kabul has assured Pakistan that it will take action against alleged sanctuaries of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates on the Afghan soil in a significant move which suggests increased anti-terror cooperation between the two neighbours.

The assurance came from President Ashraf Ghani during his talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif in his just-concluded maiden trip to Islamabad.

A security official while speaking on condition of anonymity said there was a visible shift in Afghanistan’s approach since the new government took over in September this year. “We have had very frank and candid discussions with the Afghan president and he agreed that terrorist sanctuaries will be dismantled on the Afghan side of the border,” he disclosed.

The commitment was given after Ghani was briefed ‘with evidence’ that Pakistan’s ongoing operation in North Waziristan Agency was targeting ‘terrorists of all shades’, including the deadly Haqqani Network. “There is no ambiguity in our policy now. We are treating all militant outfits, including the Haqqanis, as a threat to peace,” the official insisted.

The paradigm shift is apparently attributed to Army Chief General Raheel Sharif who, according to sources, has a clear stance on the war on terror unlike his predecessor.

Officials said the Afghan president welcomed Pakistan’s push against militants and made it clear that his administration would not allow any militant group, including those from the TTP, to find refuge on Afghan soil.

Islamabad has long been seeking decisive action against the TTP sanctuaries in the northeastern Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan. In the past, Pakistan had even accused Afghan security agencies of supporting the TTP and its affiliates to further their interests.

However, with the change of government in Kabul, Islamabad is hoping that Afghan authorities would eliminate TTP ‘safe havens.’

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained tense during former Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s 13-year rule. Karzai often accused Pakistan’s security establishment of sheltering Afghan insurgents, a charge Islamabad strongly denies. But unlike Karzai, his successor struck a reconciliatory note during his visit and avoided blame game.

It has been learnt that a considerable progress has been achieved to evolve a new security mechanism under which security forces of the two countries would increase cooperation in the post-2014 scenario.

An official said currently Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US-led Nato forces had a trilateral arrangement to deal with border issues as well as fighting militants. Now the focus has shifted from trilateral to a bilateral approach.

The renewed offer from Gen Raheel to train Afghan security forces is part of that policy that would help strengthen military-to-military ties. The Afghan president is believed to have given a positive response to Pakistan’s offer, which was not accepted previously by his predecessor.

Jhelum rally: Govt gave IB Rs2.7b to sabotage dharna, says Imran Khan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had paid the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Rs2.7 billion to sabotage the Islamabad dharna.

“IB’s total budget is Rs200 million while the PML-N gave the agency Rs2.7 billion to flop our sit-ins,” Imran alleged while addressing a huge rally in Jhelum on Sunday. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took the step just before the start of their sit-in in August,” Imran said and claimed that the government was giving the IB more money to counter PTI’s November 30 rally in the federal capital.

“I’m inviting everybody to Islamabad on November 30. On one side there will be status quo, which consists of people who have become rich after coming to power, and on the other side, there will be us, the people of Pakistan,” he said.

He also alleged that the government was spending Rs10 billion on advertisements in the media and Rs3 billion monthly on ‘propaganda TV commercials’ against the PTI rally.

“The government is recovering this Rs10 billion amount by charging Pakistani people Rs30 as television fee,” he said. Additionally, Rs500 million is being spent on governor houses, police and Nawaz’s foreign tours, he added. “The money you pay in taxes will definitely be stolen if you don’t ask about it.” Imran claimed that after coming to power his government would collect enough taxes that there would be no need to ask for foreign loans.

He promised that if voted to power, his government would ensure merit in each and every sector. “I will neither open bank accounts in foreign countries nor purchase any property outside my country if I become a prime minister,” he claimed.

“Pakistan will become a prosperous country and people from other countries will come here for jobs,” he said, adding that pro-people policies could make the country prosperous.

The PTI chief said Pakistan had enough resources which would be utilized and spent properly on education and health of its people. “Youth is our best resource which should be utilized by creating job opportunities for them,” he said.

Imran criticized the incumbent government for not allowing people to watch Pak-Afghan cricket match played in Islamabad. “They didn’t allow people as they feared to face ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans,” he said.

He also lambasted the rulers for appointing Hanif Abbasi, an accused in ephedrine smuggling case, as chairman of Metro Bus project.

He said this country can be changed. It’s a difficult task but not impossible. “This country can change, if 200 honest and talented people are appointed on important positions,” he said.

Giving examples of Japan and Germany, he urged the people to change themselves if they wanted to change their plight.  He also called upon people of Jhelum to give up clan-based politics and cast vote for those who work for their betterment.

He announced to visit Larkana on Friday. “We will stand with the middle class and professional class of Sindh as well as peasants and will break the chain of fear in the people of Sindh,” he said. He said he would break ‘Nawaz-Zardari partnership’ through his continuous struggle.

Pakistan successfully test-fires Hatf-IV ballistic missile

Pakistan conducted a successful test launch of Intermediate Range Hatf-IV (Shaheen 1A) ballistic missile, aimed at re-validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system, a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The missile is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 900 kilometres, and is among the most accurate missile systems due to its highly accurate and indigenously developed guidance system.

The launch was warmly appreciated by the President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who congratulated the participating troops, the scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, also congratulated the scientists and engineers for their dedication, professionalism and commitment towards achieving Pakistan’s Full Spectrum Credible Minimum Deterrence Capability.

He reiterated Pakistan’s desire for peaceful co-existence in the region, and appreciated the professional attributes of all concerned towards accomplishment of the sacred mission.

Zakaullah also showed his full confidence over the Pakistan Armed Forces’ capability to safeguard security of the Mother Land against any aggression.

The launch, with impact point in Arabian Sea, was witnessed by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, Director General Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, Lieutenant General Obaid Ullah Khan,Vice Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi, Commander Pakistan Fleet, Chairman NESCOM, Mr Muhammad Irfan Burney, senior officers from the strategic forces, scientists and engineers of strategic organizations.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur: A Foreign Sponsored Agent

Recent air strikes against terrorists in NWA killed 48 suspected militants. A house belonging to Hafiz Gul Bahadar has been destroyed in the air strike. Reportedly, terrorist Fazlullah and other prominent militant commanders were also present in the targeted house. Gul Bahadar managed to escape, but others have reportedly been killed. Military has really demonstrated its zeal and firm resolve to eliminate all terrorists from NWA without any discrimination. This shows not only the level of seriousness of military to eliminate terrorists, but also proves that propagandists’ stance was incorrect and malicious that Gul Bahadar was being sponsored by military as a good militant.

In this connection, we must know the real character of Gul Bahadur. The fact of the matter is that Gul Bahadur has sold himself to foreigners, one wonders, as to how many dollars Gul Bahadur would have won, while selling the pride of his tribe.

It is notable that the successive governments of Pakistan had upheld the peace treaty of 2006 with Gul Bahadur, and security forces stood by their promise despite suffering heavy casualties and assaults on their installations. Gul Bahadur was the only one who refused to expel foreign fighters, and stood alone on their side, while the complete tribal Shura stood loyal to the state by opposing his anti-Pakistan activities.

Gul Bahadur broke this peace treaty and unlike a genuine leader, Gul Bahadur has opted to endanger men, women and children of North Waziristan Agency for his personal gains. Playing in the hands of external enemies, he allowed terrorist activities including development of IED making factories with large quantity of explosives, anti-tank mines, and suicide training centers in his area from where terrorists were being sent to various places of Pakistan. Undoubtedly, in our country, these insurgents were using various kinds of terror attacks and suicide bombing as their main weapon by targeting innocent civilians, women and children, Armed Forces and government functionaries, markets, schools, parks, mosques, churches, temples, shrines, bus stops, railway stations, passengers’ trains and so on. The surviving families of the victims mourn and raise a question asking for what crime their loved ones were punished.

So, Gul Bahadur was on a foreign payroll and playing a dubious role to malign Pakistan and its armed forces.

August 14 deadline: Imran Khan lays out conditions for calling off long march

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said that he was willing to call off the August 14 long march on Islamabad if the Supreme Court opens a probe into election rigging in four constituencies.

“If a three-member judicial commission under the Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk investigates the electoral fraud and places the result before the nation in two weeks, we will call off the long march,” the PTI chief said.

He was speaking at the Kal Tak programme of the Express News hosted by Javed Chaudhry.

“No, we cannot give the government any more time,” he said pointing out that PTI has been fighting in tribunals for the past 14 months and giving more time will mean that one should get ready for the next elections.

Imran reiterated that the August 14 long march will be a giant leap towards real democracy that will herald a new Pakistan.

He said that the people were just as charged as they were in May 2013. “I felt the pulse of the crowd in Bahawalpur, we are starting from where we left out in 2013.”

He did not rule out demand for a mid-term election.

To a question about the status of Nawaz Sharif and his government post-August 14, Imran said, “I am not going to show all of my cards right now.”

On politics of confrontation, the former cricketer said that PTI went to election tribunals but no avail, “we wasted 14 months.”

The system has to be changed, he said.

He asserted that if the judicial commission finds allegations of rigging untrue and declares no electoral fraud has taken place, “I will go and congratulate Mian Nawaz Sharif on his victory.”

However, Imran said he believes that on May 11, 2013, the nation saw biggest electoral fraud in the history of Pakistan. Unless there is accountability, the practice of poll rigging will continue. “A few people have formed dynasties in Pakistan, their children are being groomed to rule us, this is not democracy, it is monarchy,” he said. Corruption cannot be eliminated without accountability, he asserted.

Regarding the operation in North Waziristan Imran said that he believed in democracy and would never have supported an armed offensive. “As a student of history and international relations, I assure that every conflict ends in dialogue,” he said. The Moro conflict of Muslims in the Philippines, he said, continued for over 40 years, only to end in talks that started a few months ago.

On the perception that PTI is resorting to confrontation because it cannot control the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, Imran said this was incorrect. He dilated upon the police reforms, improvements in education and health sectors the K-P government has achieved.

“There is no likelihood of K-P government being dissolved,” Imran said replying to a question by the host. The fact is, Imran said, the PTI unlike the N league, has not pumped Rs 60 million of taxpayer money in self-aggrandizing media campaigns.

Zarb-e-Azb is war of survival: DG ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa

The ongoing military operation in North Waziristan is a ‘war of survival’ and will pave the way for the dawn of permanent peace in the country, the military’s spokesperson said.

In a formal briefing to the media on Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asim Bajwa told reporters that the operation was being carried out without any discrimination between “good or bad Taliban”.

“This is the biggest and most well-coordinated operation ever conducted against terrorists. It is the beginning of the end for terrorism in the country,” he said.

Maj Gen Bajwa said army troops, Frontier Corps personnel, Khasadars, Levies, intelligence operatives and the Pakistan Air Force were jointly conducting the operation in North Waziristan.

Maj Gen Asim Bajwa says troops have surrounded North Waziristan; claims terrorists did not know operation was coming

“We have surrounded the entire agency and sealed the 180km border with Afghanistan, as well as the boundary with South Waziristan, making it impossible for terrorists to escape,” he said.

Asked if there was a possibility that terrorist leaders had escaped to Afghanistan before the launch of the operation, the ISPR chief said it was possible a few of them had taken refuge on the Afghan side, but most of them were still in the targeted area. “The terrorists could not anticipate the launch of the operation,” he said.

“Terrorists of all kinds, involved in different activities from Fata to Karachi, are based in North Waziristan. They include local and foreign militants, including Uzbeks and Chechens. Now, it is up to them whether they surrender or fight,” he said.

He said the entire nation and the political leadership of the country were on the same page as the military on the issue of terrorism and fully supported the army in the operation.

Asked about the perception that the military once backed militants groups such as the Haqqani group and Gul Bahadur group, the ISPR spokesman said there was formerly a pact with the Gul Bahadur group, but that had since been violated and now, neither side was bound to honour the agreement.

He said that since the launch of the operation on June 15, a total of 327 terrorists had been killed and 45 of their hideouts had been destroyed.

He said 19 terrorists had surrendered to security personnel but did not reveal any details about their nationality or allegiances. Ten security personnel have laid down their lives, while seven had been injured in the line of duty, he said.

The Afghan government had been requested to take action against those terrorists who crossed over to escape operation.

He denied that US drone strikes were part of the operation, adding that US had been asked to coordinate, but the operation was solely being carried out by Pakistani troops.

Control rooms had been set up with the Universal Access Number 1135 in different cities, so people could share information about any suspicious activity in their area.

Internally displaced persons

The DG ISPR told reporters that so far, nearly 36,804 families consisting of 456,292 individuals had been registered as internally displaced persons and that most of them had moved in with host families in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat. Only a few hundred opted to stay in the camps set up for IDPs, he said.

Maj Gen Bajwa said that 50 army personnel and 20 officials of the National Disaster Management Authority had been deployed to ensure the registration of all IDPs.

Six ration points have been established in Bannu, DI Khan and Tank for the provision of food packets and medicines to IDPs and each family was given Rs15,000 and one month’s ration by the army. Of the registered IDPs, 221,000 had been immunised against polio drops and 32 relief collection points had been set up in different cities.

The DG ISPR said the National Database Registration Authority’s mobile vans were available to check the identity of incoming IDPs at registration centres. “IDPs are also being screened so that no terrorist can escape under the guise of an IDP,” he said.

PEMRA suspends Geo TV’s licence for 15 days and imposes Rs10 million fine

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) suspended Geo TV’s license for 15 days and imposed Rs10 million fine on a complaint filed by Ministry of Defence.

The fine has to be paid before the expiry of the suspension period.

The order was issued by newly-appointed interim chairperson Pervaiz Rathore. It was also decided that in case of repeated violation by Geo TV, proceedings for the revocation of the license shall be initiated.

All field offices of Pemra have been directed to implement the decision with immediate effect.

Earlier on May 20, Pemra’s private members had announced their decision to suspend the licences of Geo News, Geo Entertainment and Geo Tez till May 28. Hours after the announcement, however, the decision was disowned by the Pemra spokesperson.

Pemra’s private member Israr Abbasi said that the new decision was taken by the government members alone and not the entire regulatory body.

He also claimed that Pemra rules don’t permit appointment of caretaker head.

Pakistani nation rejects Geo TV’s apology

Collaboration between Geo Network and India

The collaboration between Geo media network and India has been exposed, as leaders of various political and religious parties including all the segments of society have been condemning the Geo and Jang group by showing solidarity with Pakistan’s armed forces and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), in the aftermath of Hamid Mir episode which was manipulated by this media group.

On the same day when its anchor Hamid Mir was injured by unidentified gunmen in Karachi, without any evidence or inquiry, Geo TV channel deduced hastily outcome, and displayed a photo of the DG ISI Lt. Gen Zaheerul Islam, while its some media anchors accused ISI and its DG in this respect. It was embarrassing for the entire nation when a media analyst of this channel demanded that Gen. Zaheerul Islam should resign. Geo TV’s defamation tirade directed against ISI and its DG continued for over eight hours, while Pakistan Army was also targeted.

Everything became crystal clear when foreign media, NGOs and human rights groups reactivated their campaign against Pakistan, its army and especially ISI by supporting the so-called propaganda of the Geo TV, while favouring the misconceptions of Hamid Mir. Particularly, India avail the opportunity, and under the pretext of false accusations, its renowned newspapers, especially “The Times of India” including TV channels and high officials maligned ISI. In this connection, Geo media network which enjoys support of external enemies, itself indicates the evidence that it follows India which wants to destabilize Pakistan. In this context, on April 28, this year, voicing his support for the Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif through a letter to stop ISI from suspending Geo TV license. It has unveiled the intrigue between India and Geo network.

But countrywide protests and rallies in support of armed forces and Pakistan’s prime spy agency, ISI which started since the day, Geo TV channel defamed country’s security agencies, accelerated against the Geo Network after its channel showed blasphemous content on May 14, in its entertainment morning show “Utho Jago Pakistan” by playing a Qawwali (a genre of sufi music) “Ali ke Saath hai Zahra ki Shaadi” in the background of actress Veena Malik and her husband Assad Bashir Khattak’s wedding reenactment. It is a famous Qawwali about the marriage of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) daughter Syeda Fatima Zehra (R.A) with his cousin Hazrat Ali (R.A). In fact, it was part Indian cultural penetration in Pakistan through Geo Media Group. Now, besides the political and religious leaders, the intellectuals and general masses of Pakistan are raising slogans that Geo and Jang Group has been fulfilling foreign agenda, especially that of India against the country, and “shut down the Geo.”

Particularly, Chairman, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan who has also defended the stance of Army and ISI, announced to boycott Geo and Jang Group. In a press conference on May 17, Imran Khan displayed documentary evidence, revealing that Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, owner of the Geo and Jang Group is working against the national interests of Pakistan and is being funded by foreign countries like UK and the US State Department for shaping the national narrative on foreign agendas, while there is no audit of the Geo network which blackmails those who raise question in this respect.

Imran Khan who has been protesting against the rigging in the elections 2013, repeatedly stated that PML (N) and Geo are the one team having common interests – Najam Sethi, an employee for Geo TV was made PCB chairman as a gift of Geo’s services, and rigging in the polls, while the ex-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry also played his role in this regard. Imran Khan further added, “Media trial of ISI and its chief by Geo TV is extremely condemnable which was done as per agenda set by Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman.” He had also indicated that the “US and India will be gladly looking at the maligning of Pakistan’s armed forces by the country’s own TV channel.” Earlier, Imran Khan also criticized the said TV channel’s Aman Ki Asha (Desire for peace) campaign in the eastern border and Jang Ki Asha (Desire for war) in the western border which shows its double standard, while rejecting foreign allegations that ISI or Army is supporting militancy in Afghanistan.

However, due to Aman Ki Asha, Pakistan’s ideology and Two Nation Theory have been considerably damaged. Credit goes to the team of Geo and “Times of India.” Every Pakistani knows that the separatists in Balochistan get all sorts of support from India in particular and America including some other powers in general, but Geo would not project Indian stance. Because, Pakistan Army and ISI are the main targets of Indian propagandists, as Indian media leaves no stone unturned to damage the prestige and tarnish the image of these national institutions, and Geo facilitates Indian agenda. For the purpose, terrorism in Pakistan has been promoted by glorifying the actions of terrorists and linking it with human rights and missing persons’ case. Nevertheless, since the Supreme Court of Pakistan has been dealing with case of missing persons, especially of Balochistan, while speaking in the tone of anti-Pakistan elements like India, Geo anchors has implicated Pak Army and ISI about the disappeared persons as well human rights violations. They ignored the reality that the missing persons have been killed in subversive acts, arranged by American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad through their affiliated militants groups. In case of Balochistan, foreign-assisted Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other separatist outfits which have been fighting for secession of the province kidnapped and killed many innocent people and the security personnel in the province, while claiming responsibility like the TTP militants. These insurgents groups are responsible for human rights violations in Balochistan and other places of Pakistan.

In the recent past, when Quaid’s residency in Ziarat was attacked by the Baloch separatists, Geo TV blamed ISI for the episode, but after a few days, BLA claimed responsibility, releasing a video in that regard. When on November 26, 2008, terror attacks occurred in Mumbai, the culprit who was caught alive was Ajmal Kasab. Nobody knew who Ajmal Kasab was and where he came from, but Hamid Mir and Geo broke the headline that Ajmal Kasab is Pakistani and is resident of Faridkot village. Geo TV was repeatedly displaying it like an advertisement to distort the image of Pakistan and its security agencies, which clearly showed that it was the result of a deal between India and this media group. Although Indian RAW took a forced statement from him against ISI, yet on December 31, 2008, the FBI team which visited Faridkot said that  no evidence could be collected, which could confirm Ajmal Kasab’s claim of being Pakistani national. In 2013, ex-investigative officer of the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation, Satish Verma disclosed that India itself arranged terror attacks on Indian parliament in 2001 in New Delhi and in Mumbai in 2008 to strengthen anti-terrorism laws.

It is notable that Hindu fundamentalist parties like BJP, RSS, Shiv Sena etc. which are promoting Hindu extremism have been committing gross human rights violations in India such as suppression of Muslims and Christians, attacks on their places of worship and so on. Besides, Indian military and paramilitary troops are also responsible for human rights violations in the Indian occupied Kashmir, while separatist movements in India continue unabated. These brutal atrocities and crushing the freedom movements have never been projected by Geo, while Balochistan issue remains favorite topic of Geo and The Times of India. Obsessed with the idea of promoting Indian culture, Geo toed Indian line in the context of Indo-Pak relations. Resultantly, top Pakistani leaders carelessly stated that Indians and Pakistanis were the same, without realizing that Indian (Hindus) are idol worshippers, while Pakistani (Muslims) are anti-idol.

It is owing to collaboration between Geo and India that when idea of initiating Aman-Ki-Asha was presented, the exponents of this initiative argued that it will provide a platform to Pakistan to make peace and end hostilities with India—will also facilitate resolution of core issues between India and Pakistan like Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, and Water through a dialogue process. As a matter of fact, these disputes have further been sidelined as per Indian schemes. Hence, one can witness that Geo promoted Indian designs, facilitating their ingress into Pakistani milieu and dividing the nation. Moreover, sectarian violence has been encouraged by Geo and The Times of India in accordance with New Delhi’s collaboration, and violent episodes covered in oblique-angle-vision technique to malign Pakistan.

Furthermore, reports by the Geo Media Group and especially The Times of India that all stakeholders including Pakistan’s Prime Minister, DG ISI, ISPR and political parties were taken into confidence before launch of campaign – Aman Ki Asha are quite misleading, as ISI never supported the idea of joint collaboration between the Geo/JANG and The Times of India Groups to launch such initiative. Instead, ISI maintained that The Times of India followed official Indian stance on Indo-Pak relations and was in the forefront in promoting anti-Pakistan propaganda. No doubt, Geo and Jang group has become instrumental in promoting pro-Indian ideas in Pakistan. In this context, collaboration between Geo Network and India, particularly with The Times of India has been exposed.

Restive borders: North Waziristan tribes told to expel militants

The top government administrator in North Waziristan Agency has told a tribal Jirga that the situation could not normalize in the region unless local tribes expelled militants from their areas.

The Jirga comprising 65 elders from Uthmanzai Wazir and Dawar tribes met with Siraj Ahmad Khan, the political agent of North Waziristan, at the Circuit House in the agency headquarters of Miranshah.

Jirga members complained about the persistent curfew and recurring search operations by the security forces. The political agent, however, defended the extraordinary measures which, he said, were aimed at the militants who were targeting the security forces with roadside bombs. He added that the security forces have suffered several casualties in such attacks.

The political agent called upon the local tribes to expel militants from their areas. “If the tribesmen fail to do that, we’ll take action against them under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier crimes Regulation (FCR).”

Earlier, Haji Sher Muhammad – the successor of the legendary Faqir of Ipi and an elder of the Uthmanzai tribe – said that the Waziristan tribesmen were loyal to Pakistan, yet they were being targeted. He was referring to the recent air raids on militant hideouts in different parts of the agency which, according to local tribes, also killed innocent women, children and elderly people.

He said the local tribes have no option but to migrate to the neighbouring Afghanistan due to the ongoing security operations in Mirali and Miramshah tehsils of the agency.

He said that they wanted to solve the issue through dialogue and restore peace in the region. However, if the situation didn’t normalize and their demands went unheeded, they would meet the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor and other high officials. “No one in the region wants war,” he reiterated. After the jirga, Haji Sher told journalists that the political agent has agreed to arrange a meeting between the tribal elders and the governor.

On Monday morning, the political administration imposed a curfew in the agency and tribesmen were told to stay indoors due to the movement of security forces in the area.