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India-Pakistan

13 more killed in Kurram Agency sectarian violence

2007-12-27

At least 13 people, including five children, a woman and two FC personnel, were killed and over 54 injured in continued sectarian clashes in various parts of the Kurram Agency on Wednesday, hospital sources said. Locals said five children and a woman were killed when a mortar shell hit a government school in Sadda town. Around 31 people have been killed and dozens injured during that past five days of clashes. The clashes started about a month ago when some miscreants hurled a hand-grenade at people coming out of a mosque after offering the Friday prayers in Sadda. Life is paralysed in the agency as many houses and shops have been burnt or looted and mortar firing from rival Sunni and Shia sects. Unofficial reports say that around 20 people were killed in mortar fire and arson attacks by the rival sects on Wednesday. Residents said two people were killed when a rocket landed in the Sakhi Ahmad Shah area of Lower Kurram in the afternoon. Earlier, two FC personnel, identified as Niaz Gul and Sakhi Gul, were killed as a mortar hit the Mengak checkpost in the same area. Schools, hospitals: According to residents, people in several areas have started fleeing to safer places because of fresh clashes. They are shifting their women and children in schools, government hospitals and other places deemed safe. There is a shortage of food and medicines because all roads leading to the agency are closed due to a heavy exchange of fire between the rival groups. Both groups are using heavy weapons against each other. A curfew has been in place in Parachinar for the last five days without any break. Earlier, a jirga formed by NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai announced a temporary ceasefire between the rival sects. However, the two sides attacked each other before January 10, the last date fixed by the jirga for the ceasefire’s expiry.

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India-Pakistan

Use of force last option to end militancy, says Orakzai

2007-11-20

NWFP Governor Lt Gen (r) Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai has reiterated the government’s stance of resolving problems through political dialogue rather than the use of force which, according to him, is the last option. Talking to reporters after the oath-taking ceremony of newly inducted caretaker provincial ministers, the governor said the government is compelled to use force only as a last option in dealing with the problems created by extremists. Alipuri captured, govt on its way: He said extremist elements have captured the Alpuri area in Swat, but government forces are headed to the area. “We are taking action cautiously in our bid to avert collateral damage,” he said. “What we are interested in is that the extremists should vacate these areas and innocent people should be protected.” About the presence of foreign fighters in Swat creating problems for the government, Orakzai said, “we have information about the presence of Uzbek nationals but this has not been confirmed yet”. Asked if the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leadership had offered their services for resolving the situation in Swat, the Governor responded: “I have only read it in the newspapers, but there no such proposal has been submitted.” Responding to a question on the human and material damage caused during the last few days of sectarian clashes at Parachinar in Kurram Agency, Orkazai said a situation had presumably been vitiated there to divert the government’s attention from Swat. The governor said a peace jirga from Hangu representing both sects had been sent to Parachinar to tackle the situation.

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India-Pakistan

Pak-Afghan jirga meeting delayed

2007-03-10

An important meeting of the Pak-Afghan Peace Jirga Commission, scheduled for today (Saturday), has been delayed till March 12 in the wake of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s removal by President General Pervez Musharraf. Official sources told Daily Times that the commission was to hold its first meeting today (Saturday), but it had been delayed till Monday owing to the “recent development” in the country. Monday’s meeting will be presided over by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and also attended by his Afghan counterpart Syed Ahmed Gilani. Balochistan Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind and Cultural Minister Dr Ghazi Ghulab Jamal are members of the commission from the Pakistani side. The commission will discuss the role of NATO forces in Afghanistan and the law and order situation in the border and tribal areas.

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India-Pakistan

Force no solution to Afghan problems

2006-12-06

I hesitate to point this out, but force is one of Afghanistan's problems. NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai said on Tuesday that the use of military force was not the solution to problems in Afghanistan, and hoped that the proposed jirgas on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border would help restore peace in the region. How is it that the use of military force by the Talibs isn't a problem, but the use of military force against them is? “The foreign offices of both countries have been working on the modalities for the jirgas, and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri will visit Afghanistan tomorrow to discuss arrangements with his Afghan counterpart,” said Orakzai at press conference at the Peshawar Cantt Railways Station, after the inauguration of the Peshawar Express that will run between Peshawar and Rawalpindi. “A chance should be given for negotiations because peace cannot be restored by the use of military force in the troubled region,” he said. Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, who attended the inauguration, said that Pashtuns could not be defeated by force, and “their hearts can only be won by love and jirgas”. Sure the Pashtuns can be defeated by force. The way to do it would be to select one subtribe of Pashtuns and demand their surrender. If they didn't, then they would be wiped out. Move on to the next subtribe and repeat. If necessary, repeat a third time, but it probably won'e be necessary.

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Afghanistan

US, Afghan govt 'closing eyes' to reality: Orakzai

2006-11-25

The US and NATO face a snowballing war in Afghanistan and will suffer a military disaster unless they back peaceful means to end the conflict, NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai said on Friday. Every time I see this fella's name, I think it sez Uruk-Hai. I really need to get my eyes checked. Why? You think there's a difference? Orakzai said Washington, NATO and the Afghan government were “closing their eyes” to the reality that a military-based strategy was making matters worse. “Either it is lack of understanding or it is a lack of courage to admit their failures.” They're offering to let us surrender now, before they have to get tough with us, y'see... “Like in Iraq. It was the lack of courage to admit their faults. They have admitted them now but at very great cost.” Rather than fighting just the Taliban, Orakzai said, NATO forces now faced a wider revolt from Afghanistan’s deprived Pashtun ethnic majority. Which is another way of describing the Taliban, though Heks' boyz are admittedly a different faction, even though they sing to the same bloodthirsty tune. “The people have started joining the Taliban. It is snowballing into a nationalist movement if it has not already become one. It is becoming a sort of war of resistance.” He said that 32,000 British-led NATO forces were too few to defeat the insurgency. “If they think military is the only option, they should bring another 50,000 troops.” It's my opinion that we should demand the surrender of each tribe in turn. Those who don't surrender can be either wiped out and chased out, their choice. If anyone's paying attention at the State Department or the Defense Department, they've long since come to the conclusion that the "alliance" with Pak can be scrapped at any time. They've earned some consequences to suffer for their routine duplicity.

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India-Pakistan

Rockets fired as Orakzai visits Wana

2006-11-08

PESHAWAR: Suspected militants fired two rockets as NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai addressed a tribal jirga in Wana, South Waziristan, on Tuesday. No casualties were reported as the rockets missed their apparent target by a few hundred yards, but they did create panic in the 500 or so jirga participants that included the inspector general of the Frontier Corps and elders from the Masood, Wazir, Salman Khel, Dothani and Burki tribes. An eyewitness told Daily Times that the governor completed his speech after the rockets hit but did not stay for a luncheon hosted in his honour. He said that the governor pointed at the sight of the blast and said that these activities had harmed tribesmen. “They (militants) are a handful of people but every tribesmen is dubbed as a miscreant,” he quoted the governor as saying. He said that security forces responded to the rocket attack using heavy and light weaponry. The attackers fled the scene. The governor during his speech told the tribal jirga that the government had approved Rs 1.23 billion for the development of South Waziristan, double the allocation of previous years. Orakzai also approved a girl’s high school for the agency and directed the authorities to provide Rs 500,000 for renovation of Musa Neeka Shrine. He announced that 900 tribesmen would be inducted into the levies force.

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India-Pakistan

Grand jirga meets to broker peace in North Waziristan

2006-07-22

Tribesmen held a rare meeting on Friday to try to broker a peace deal between the government and Taliban and Al Qaeda militants operating near the Afghan border, officials said. The 45-member “grand jirga” or council including tribal elders, local legislators and Islamic scholars gathered in Miranshah, the capital of restive North Waziristan region. Hundreds of people have died in recent clashes between security forces and fundamentalist Islamic rebels in the semi-autonomous tribal zone, but the insurgents launched a unilateral ceasefire there last month. The government and the tribesmen say they are trying to find a political solution in accordance with tribal customs and traditions, instead of dealing with the problem through military means. “We are passing through a very difficult and delicate phase of our history,” Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai, the governor of North West Frontier Province, which borders the tribal region, told jirga members on Thursday. “The current situation demands that we must take every step with caution and a deep sense of commitment and responsibility”. Officials said the immediate task of the jirga would be to get an extension in the truce which expires on July 25. But the rebels also gave a string of demands, including replacing army troops with tribal police and the release of all tribesmen detained in military operations.

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India-Pakistan

Local Taliban announce ceasefire in Waziristan

2006-06-26

PESHAWAR: Militants in North Waziristan have announced a month-long unilateral ceasefire to allow a tribal jirga to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the security problems in the volatile tribal agency. Abdullah Farhad, who claims to be the spokesman for Taliban in North Waziristan, said on Sunday that the truce was temporary and the militants had the right to defend themselves if attacked. He demanded the return of security forces operating in the agency to their bases during the ceasefire period and that the forces leave the tribal area within the next month. Farhad also demanded abolishing all new check posts in the tribal areas and said that only the Khasadar force should be deployed at check posts established before the military operation. The Taliban spokesman also demanded the release of “all people” arrested by the authorities during the military operation and said the government should also revive incentives to tribal elders which were stopped because of the elders’ “non-cooperation”. “We welcome the announcement made by the militants and the government will reciprocate accordingly,” NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai told reporters while commenting on the development. He said the grand tribal jirga would also consider the militants’ demands. Earlier on Saturday, Arbab Shahzad, a senior official at the Governor’s FATA Secretariat, had told Daily Times that the nation would hear good news regarding Waziristan shortly. However, Shahzad had refused to give details of the ‘good news’.

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India-Pakistan

Incoming FATA governor admits challenges

2006-05-25

"So far I see the problem like this: I have a 32 ounce can of worms. I have a six hour time limite. The worms have to be sorted by length and thickness. The worms are alive. They are also venomous. Simple, no?" Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai, who yesterday took oath as the new governor of Pakistan’s troubled Islamist North West Frontier Province, admits his new job is challenging in view of the international focus on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). “Although the governor is for the entire province, his main area of concern is the tribal area. It was neglected in the past and, therefore, there is need to pay lot of attention to it to accelerate development work, expand education and health services, and improve the economic life of the tribal people,” he said.

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