Differences among tribesmen over whether to support the government in the ongoing crackdown on militants turned sour as they pulled guns on each other when Ahmedzai Wazir tribes held a jirga on Friday.
"We're supportin' the gummint, Mahmoud!"
"No you ain't, you yella-bellied apostate!"
"That does it, go fer yer guns!" |
"They [elders] nearly came to blows and pointed guns at each other," said a tribal elder from the Khojelkhel sub-tribe. He said the jirga was held to discuss differences over the 36-member committee supervising the lashkar and whether or not to support the government in its fight against foreign militants hiding in South Waziristan. "It was the most disorderly jirga in Ahmedzai Wazir tribes' history and that's saying something. Thank God that some elders calmed the situation and averted a bloody clash," he added.
| Damn. I always enjoy a good tribal shootout... |
The Ahmedzai Wazirs, consisting of nine major Waziristan tribes, was sharply divided over the committee's role. Formed two months ago, it was assigned to supervise the tribal lashkar assigned to fight wanted tribesman and Al Qaeda militants. "The jirga failed to decide if it wanted accept a Shakai-type agreement with the government," the tribal elder said. Three Shakai tribes — Sperkai, Shudyakhel and Khuniyakhel - reached an agreement with the government on July 5 to support the government against local and foreign militants. The agreement helped lift economic sanctions imposed on tribesmen on May 29. Elders from Ahmedzai Wazir tribes thought a similar agreement with the government could help lift sanctions against them. Tribal elder Malik Behram Khan told Daily Times that the jirga would be held again on Saturday and he hoped it might reach agreement.
"We ain't finished here, Mahmoud!"
"So you say, Ahmed, but Saturday's another day!" |
Meanwhile, an official from a seminary run by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, his driver and a security guard were injured when a jeep they were riding in hit a landmine in Shakai on Friday. Maulvi Hasan and his driver were taken to hospital in Peshawar.
| Those Shakai-type agreements seem to work well... |
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