A notorious tribesman wanted by Pakistan for harbouring foreign militants from al Qaeda and the ousted Afghan Taliban regime has said he had no plans to give himself up.
| "Nope. Nope. Ain't gonna do it..." |
The government has given leaders in the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan until April 20 to hand over foreign fighters and local tribesmen sheltering them, or to come up with an alternative plan.
| "We're givin' youse guys a deadline! Again." |
Senior elders gathered in the western town of Wana on Friday to decide how to ignore respond to the ultimatum, which Islamabad hopes will pave the way for a political solution after dozens of soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in the region last month. But comments from Nek Mohammad, a tribal commander involved in those clashes and believed to be sheltering al Qaeda guerrillas, suggested more fighting loomed. "We are still in this area. Where else can we go?" Mohammad told the News daily, after contacting the newspaper from an undisclosed location.
| "I'll continue doing whatever I damned well please, and ain't nobody gonna stop me!" |
Mahmood Shah, FATA's security chief, said Mohammad was the most wanted among Pakistani tribesmen who have close military and family ties to foreign fighters from Arab countries, Central Asia, China and Russia's breakaway region of Chechnya. The links go back more than 20 years, when Pakistan was used as a launching post for attacks on Soviet forces in neighbouring Afghanistan. Mohammad told the News he did not know of Tahir Yuldashev's whereabouts.
| "I dunno. Why't yez go find him yerselves?" |
Shah told Reuters that senior tribal "maliks", or elders, had gathered in the South Waziristan town of Wana, some 380 km southwest of Islamabad, on Friday ahead of formal deliberations over the weekend aimed at ending the crisis to pass gas. He said Mohammad was one of five Pakistani tribesmen, all from the Zalikhel sub-tribe, wanted by the authorities. Troop movements around Azam Warsak in South Waziristan and Shawal in North Waziristan have led to speculation of fresh operations in the area. "We will not announce the location of an operation in advance," Shah said. "Shawal is the adjoining area to South Waziristan, so the whole area is one where we have troops."
| "As soon as we have some idea where we're gonna hit, if we do, I'm sure Mahmoud the Weasel's gonna spill the beans..." |
Some analysts have questioned the wisdom of setting deadlines for the handover of militants or their protectors, saying it gave suspects the opportunity to escape or hide in time.
| I thought that was the whole idea? |
Military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan said the political process should be given time to work, and that "the movements (of militants) are also being watched."
| I'm just oozing confidence in the Pak military... |
|