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| India-Pakistan | |
| 3 wanted Pakistanis surrender in Waziristan | |
| 2004-01-14 | |
| Authorities in South Waziristan tribal agency scored their first success in forcing the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe to surrender wanted men when three tribesmen suspected of involvement in anti-state activities were delivered to the political administration on Tuesday. Arsala Khan, Gul Abbas Khan and Sher Mohammad belonging to the Gangikhel subtribe were handed over to the authorities in Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan. Rahmatullah Wazir, assistant political agent, Wana, said the three men were sent behind the bars to face interrogation on their role in sheltering "foreign terrorists" and indulging in violence. The arrest of the three wanted men happened on the day the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe started raising two tribal Lashkars to hunt down those accused of sheltering al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects in South Waziristan. Lashkar means "army," so I’m guessing this is a tribal militia of some sort. Armed tribal elders from the nine subtribes of Ahmadzai Wazir met in Wana to discuss their modus operandi. Official sources said the elders started sending messages to the wanted men to surrender or face punitive action. According to the assistant political agent, lists of 57 wanted tribesmen were given to the two tribal Lashkars. The Lashkar of the Zalikhel, the biggest Ahmadzai Wazir sub-tribe, was assigned the task to deliver 29 wanted men. Among them were Nek Mohammad, Sharif Khan and Maulvi Abbas, whose homes were demolished by the Pakistan Army’s Quick Reaction Force and the Frontier Corps militia in a big military operation in Kaloshah village near Wana on January 8. All three have denied charges of involvement in any anti-state activity.
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| Posted by:Dan Darling |