Thousands of tribesmen meeting on Sunday in a remote border town insisted there were no al Qaeda suspects in their area, and condemned frequent search operations in the tribal belt.
"Tribesmen are loyal Pakistanis and, as true Muslims, they are opposed to all acts of terrorism," Islamic cleric Samaruddin told a peace conference attended by some 10,000 people from the north-western tribal region along the Afghan border.
Residents said the meeting was convened by the local chapter of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) in Miran Shah.
"Pakistani troops should stop razing the homes of tribesmen on suspicions that people in the region harbour foreign terrorists," Samaruddin said, adding "there are no al Qaeda terrorists in our area".
He said the army should be withdrawn and operations be left to local tribesmen who "believe in the stability of the country and are ready to defend its frontiers".
He also warned that tribal people would not tolerate foreign troops on their soil.
Tribal leader Shahzad Khan said the tribal force on Saturday raided the homes of the suspects but no one was found.
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