Political Agent of Khyber Agency, Tariq Hayat Khan has said that Amir Lashkar-i-Islam Mangal Bagh and Afridi tribes has accepted all the terms and conditions of the government, Aaj TV reported. He said Mangal Bagh has agreed to submit bail money in exchange for his men.
He has also agreed to keep in force the ban on exhibition of weapons in the government controlled areas, Tariq Hayat said. He said the final decision in this regard will be made in the Jirga to be held today (on Sunday). However, Lashkar-e-Islami chief denied the statement given by political agent and said that he has no information about this agreement. He said that he is ready to talk with the government through traditional jirga and he has never challenged the writ of the government.
DPA ADDS: A tribal council (jirga) mediating between Pakistani officials and militants on Saturday said a powerful militant commander had agreed to hold negotiations to end the military action in Khyber tribal district. "It's a great success that the process of reconciliation has begun," one of the mediators, Shaukat, told journalists in Peshawar.
"If there is sincerity, God willing, the negotiations will prove successful," Shaukat said. According to him, the officials have given assurance that the military action would remain suspended as long as the talks continued. However, the Frontier Corps (FC) paramilitary forces have identified militant targets in the Khyber district which would be taken out if peaceful means failed.
Analysts say the government is keeping a foot in both camps to avoid outright confrontation with the militants, who are thought to have considerable support from tribesmen for their plans to impose self-defined strict Islamic rules in the society.
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