Govt gives 7-point demand list to Mehsuds

Sunday, March 14, 2010





* Demands include handover of 300-plus wanted terrorists, no shelter to non-locals, ban on heavy weapons, no parallel administrative or judicial system

By Iqbal Khattak

PESHAWAR: The government on Saturday handed over a seven-point list of demands to the Mehsud tribes to set ‘ground rules’ for the return of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes in South Waziristan where the military launched an offensive against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) last October, officials said.

The list includes the demand for the handover of over 300 wanted terrorists, including TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, and also demands a guarantee from the Mehsud tribes that they would no longer provide shelter to ‘non-locals’.

Official sources told Daily Times that South Waziristan political agent Shahab Ali Shah handed over the list during a Mehsud tribes’ jirga in Tank city.

Committee: A 12-member committee was formed at the end of the consultative council to discuss the government demands amongst Mehsud tribesmen and later with the administration.

The government is seeking ‘firm commitment’ from the Mehsud tribes to ensure that the TTP terrorists stay out of their areas once the IDPs have returned. However, the tribes do not appear to be ‘strong enough’ to keep TTP out of their areas.

Other jirga members told Daily Times said it was to “hope against hope” that the tribes would hand over the wanted Taliban. “The militants are very strong and we are not. However, if all the tribes unite, this can happen,” the members said.