GHALLANAI: The security forces and political administration on Friday warned the tribespeople of an extended version of operation Zarb-e-Azb III from July 3 if they failed to maintain peace in their respective areas in Mohmand Agency.
Speaking at a grand jirga, Political Agent Mehmood Aslam Wazir, Commandant Mohmand Rifles Col Hafiz Asif Iqbal and other officials expressed their concern over the rising terror incidents in the tribal agency.
The officials said that terrorists were working on the agenda of the Christian-Jewish lobby to destabilise Pakistan. They said that they were killing security forces personnel, kidnapping tribespeople and collecting ransoms for their release. They also announced the closure of Khakh Bazaar in Safi tehsil after the distribution of pamphlets. They also announced confiscation of property in Malimzai tehsil after arms and ammunition were seized in Prata Killay and the bomb blast in Krapa.
The officials asked the elders of the tribes to identify and hand over the terrorists and their facilitators to the law enforcement agencies or else face the consequences under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations. The officials said that tribespeople within a kilometre’s area of any terror incident would face the music and the land and other property within that area would be confiscated. They said that local jirgas would be constituted for the purpose which would work in coordination with the security forces. They said that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb-III would be launched from next month if the situation was not brought under control.
The political agent directed the officials to inform tribes of the decision of the jirga. The elders requested the officials to relax the deadline for launching the operation. They said that constitution of jirgas and strengthening the collection of qaumi jirgas would require three months.
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