Agence France Presse

Wana, April 2:

Pakistani tribesmen living along the Afghan border have agreed to hand over fellow tribal leaders who have been sheltering foreign Al Qaeda fighters, after being threatened with a fresh military offensive, an official said today.

“The tribesmen have assured us that they will hunt and hand over the people who sheltered Al Qaeda fighters,” Rehmatullah Wazir, an administrator from South Waziristan tribal district said.

“If the tribesmen do not hand over Al Qaeda harbourers to us then another military operation will be launched.” Pakistani authorities issued a further ultimatum to the tribes to hand over the five chief harbourers of the extremists by April 10 or face another offensive like the 12-day siege near the border in late March.Provincial authorities also renewed an amnesty offer to the estimated hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters hiding in the border region, saying they would be allowed to stay if they surrenedered and vowed not to participate further in “negative activities”.A local tribal chief said the tribesmen would hold another traditional council-style meeting tomorrow to reorganise an armed force to hunt the wanted locals.“We will cooperate with the authorities and Insha Allah (God willing) we will catch the Al Qaeda harbourers in 10 days,” tribal chief Shah Gul said.

Authorities have distributed pamphlets in Wana urging the tribesmen to cooperate in flushing out “foreign terrorists” and capturing their local supporters.

No significant Al Qaeda members were captured in last month’s operation.The fugitives have found natural allies among the Pashtun tribes, who share their Islamic conservatism and anti-US hostility and have a tradition of honouring guests.