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| Bajaur militants offer sanctuary to Osama, Omar |
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
Woo local tribal chiefs; rule out pardon for US spies, adulterers
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Militants of Bajaur Agency on Friday offered general amnesty to all their opponents, except alleged US spies and those involved in adultery, and announced the formation of various committees for settling people's conflicts.
In addition, militant commander Maulana Faqir Mohammad and his fellow fighters said they wished to offer shelter to Osama bin Laden and Mulla Mohammad Omar, should they ask for it.
Tribal sources told The News that the militants for the first time invited their once-harsh opponents, including the tribal elders, former and present parliamentarians and some clerics, to their stronghold in Barkhalozo area in the Mohmand subdivision to assure them that they should no more consider the militants a threat.
A tribal elder, who survived several attempts on his life in the past, said he could not believe his eyes when he saw a number of elders sitting side-by-side with senior militant commanders Maulana Faqir Mohammad, Maulvi Sher Bahadar, Dr Ismail, and Maulvi Omar, spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Among the invitees were the newly-elected PPP MNA Akhunzada Chattan, Senator Maulana Abdur Rashid, former pro-MMA MNA Haroonur Rashid, Haji Bismillah Khan, former parliamentarian and father of MNA Engineer Shaukatullah Khan, noted tribal chieftains including Malik Shah Jehan Khan and representatives of various political parties.
Former MNA Shahabuddin Khan was conspicuous by his absence during the meeting but had sent his representative to represent him in the first-ever meeting with the militants. Shahabuddin, who earlier belonged to the Awami National Party, had won the election from Bajaur but later joined the military-backed PML-Q government that earned him the militants’ wrath.
The militants spoke about the abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and told the Jirga members they wanted the Shariah to replace the FCR.
All the Jirga members backed the militants’ proposal and assured them to support their struggle for enforcing the Islamic laws in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Maulana Faqir Mohammad in his speech offered general amnesty to all their opponents and said they were now free in their movements in the tribal region. However, he explained there would be no change in their policy for alleged US spies and those engaged in adultery and un-Islamic activities.
It may be mentioned here that in various tribal regions including Bajaur Agency, dozens of people were beheaded or gunned down on charges of spying on militants for the US. Osama bin Laden and Mulla Omar, he claimed were the true heroes of the Muslim world, adding he and his followers would lay down their lives for them.
The militant commander said they would not tolerate President Pervez Musharraf in any form in the country as "he detained their guests (Arab fighters) and sold them like animals to America".
Paying tributes to the world's most-wanted man, Faqir Mohammad remarked: "Sheikh Osama has become an ideology now and America's $50 million bounty for his head is not even worthy for his turban."
He told the Jirga members that since all the infidels had united to capture the resources of the Muslim world, therefore, it was imperative for the Muslims to get united and support the "Mujahideen" in their war against the US-led foreign occupation forces in Afghanistan.
He claimed to have prepared thousands of suicide bombers waiting for his call to attack the US-led troops in Afghanistan.Militants and tribal elders later signed an agreement, in which both sides promised to live peacefully.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
