The Mehsud tribesmen have opposed house-to-house search operation being conducted by security forces in different parts of the South Waziristan tribal region. A jirga of the Mehsud tribe, held in Tank on Saturday, alleged that law-enforcement agencies were disarming tribesmen in the name of arresting foreign and local militants in the area.
"Gimme them guns, Mahmoud!"
"I ain't no militant! I'm a robber!"
"Oh. Never mind." |
Witnesses said that about 300 elders of the Mehsud tribe attended the jirga which was addressed by Malik Mohammad Alam, Malik Janan and Malik Humayun Mehsud. The army and paramilitary troops have launched house-to-house search operation in many parts of the South Waziristan, inhabited by the Mehsud tribe. Authorities believed that a local militant commander Abdullah Mehsud, who allegedly masterminded the kidnapping of the two Chinese engineers along with his foreign and local accomplices, was hiding in the mountainous region. The sources said that about 300 mud houses had been searched in Kotaki, Spinkai Raghzai, Dela, Khunakhela Zamaray and Khad so far where the security forces had seized arms and ammunition. According to reports, the security forces had recovered about four tons of Chinese and Russian-made ammunition and explosives from these houses. However, the authorities could not find any foreign or local militant. The Mehsud jirga alleged that the security forces were violating honour and security of the tribesmen in the name of the search operation. It was pointed out that the tribesmen possessed arms and ammunition for personal security and it should not be linked with anti-state activities.
| "We need tons of arms and ammunition for self-defense around here!" |
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