Wed Mar 10,12:45 PM ET
By AHSANULLAH WAZIR, Associated Press Writer
WANA, Pakistan - Hundreds of armed tribesmen will begin hunting for seven men accused of sheltering Taliban and al-Qaida fugitives in a tribal region along the Afghan border, an official said Wednesday.
Pakistani officials met Tuesday with tribal elders in South Waziristan and warned them of "very bad consequences" if they failed to capture and turn over the seven wanted tribesmen, said Rehmatullah Wazir, an administration official in Wana, the main town in the remote region in northwestern Pakistan.
The tactic of forcing tribesmen to hunt down wanted members dates to British colonial rule.
On Wednesday, the elders said they had made arrangements for the search to begin Thursday and added that it will involve about 600 armed men.
"We will begin action against the people wanted by the government so that they surrender otherwise their homes will be demolished," said Ba Khan, one of the elders.
Neither officials nor tribal elders identified the seven men, who are believed to be hiding in Azam Warsak, 10 miles west of Wana.
South Waziristan is believed to be a hiding place for al-Qaida and Taliban suspects, possibly Osama bin Laden. The region lies along the porous Afghan border.
Pakistan — a key U.S. ally in the campaign against terrorism — has sent some 70,000 troops to the frontier to try to seal it.
In a recent operation in near Wana, Pakistani troops arrested 25 people. No senior al-Qaida or Taliban figures were reported among them.
Tribe Fined For Attack On Troops
By: Allah Noor Wazir
WANA: (South Waziristan Agency) – Taking stern notice of the attacks on Army Colony and para-military forces check-posts at Wana, the political authorities of South Waziristan Agency have fined the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe Rs 5.4 million for its failure to fulfil territorial responsibilities under the Frontier Crimes Regulations. The administration announced the fine against the Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen in a jirga between the elders and political Agent Mohammad Azam Khan on Sunday. The two sides also discussed in depth the recent attacks on armed forces and official installations. The Ahmadzai Wazir tribe was fined Rs four million and its sub-clans Ashrafkhel and Malikkhel Rs 1.2 million and Rs 0.2 million respectively. The Sholam check-post is situated in the territory dominated by tribesmen from Ashrafkhel and Malikkhel.
The traditional tribal jirga will give its reply to the administration by Wednesday. It may be mentioned here that situation in the area dominated by Ahmadzai Wazir tribesmen in Wana, South Waziristan Agency, is deteriorating day by day. The mysterious mortar and rocket attacks on the check-posts and other government installations have increased while common tribesmen are unhappy over the frequent operations in the area in the name of war on terror.
Authorities renewed their warning to tribesmen to expel terrorists and hand over suspects, or face search operations by military forces that often end with tribal homes being demolished in punishment for harbouring militants. Harbourers also face the prospect of seven years jail and a fine of 1.5 million rupees. Ultra-conservative Pashtun tribes living in the border belt, sympathetic to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fugitives, are believed to have provided them shelter since US-led forces invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 to topple the Taliban regime.