WANA: Members of a Pakistan Pashtun tribe vowed on Friday to raise a militia aimed at forcing militants loyal to Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud from their lands on the Afghan border.
Hakimullah is regarded as enemy number one of Pakistan as his militants have unleashed a wave of bomb and suicide attacks across the country in recent years.
The Pakistani army mounted a major offensive against them in their South Waziristan bastion in October.
Hakimullah comes from the Mehsud tribe, a major Pashtun tribe living in South Waziristan.
Though the military says it has destroyed most of the bases of Mehsud militants, Hakimullah and other leaders of the Pakistani Taliban have survived the offensive.
A large number of militants have fled to nearby regions while many fighters are also believed to have taken refuge in territories controlled by the Wazir tribe, the second major tribe in South Waziristan and the Mehsuds' traditional rivals.
The government has been pressing the Wazir tribe to dislodge militants from its territory.
Elders from the Wazir tribe agreed to raise a traditional tribal militia, known as a “Lashkar,” to expel Mehsud militants from their areas.
“We promised to keep the peace and we will force militants to leave our areas within a week,” Wazir tribal elder Mohammad Ajmal told a gathering of around 400 tribal leaders in Wana, the main town of Waziristan. He spoke after a meeting with government authorities.
“We will not let anyone to ruin the peace in Wana,” he added.— Reuters
