Pakistan Taliban Abolish Tribal Peace Council After Army Action

Islamabad, Nov. 13, IRNA – A powerful Pakistani Taliban group on Saturday abolished a tribal peace council, days after the security forces dynamited several civilian buildings over suspicion that the buildings were used for firing rockets on an army base. The jirga or council of tribal elders was formed in 2007 after Taliban group led by Hafiz Gul Bahadar in North Waziristan had struck a peace deal with the security forces not to attack each other. Taliban scrapped the peace council days after the security forces blew up a 5-storey building in Miranshah, center of North Waziristan on Monday last after two rockets were fired on the army base. No one was injured in the attack. The security forces razed the building to the ground on the plea that rockets were fired from the building, which housed two private hospitals and other medical facilities. Nearly 40 shops and several houses were also damaged during the operation. Security sources had later also said that five Uzbek militants were killed in the action. Taliban issued a statement on Saturday and said they would not show restraint if the security forces carry out any such action in future. The Taliban statement also said that the government is helping the United States in drone strikes. “The People are aware that the US is carrying out drone strikes with the help of the government of Pakistan, which has martyred hundreds of our people,” the Urdu-language statement said. “In view of the sufferings of the people of North Waziristan we have shown restraint,” it said. “Today we announce the abolition of the Peace Jirga, which had been formed for negotiations with the government in 2007. We want to declare that if in future the security forces resort to such acts, we will not remain silent spectators,” the Taliban statement said. Taliban say that members of the peace jirga did not intervene when the army dynamited the civilian building in Miransha. Pakistan is under mounting U.S. pressure to launch military operation against the al-Qaeda remnants, Haqqani network and Afghan Taliban in North Waziristan as they are accused of launching cross-border attacks into Afghanistan on foreign and Afghan forces. Residents say that the army action and Taliban reaction has caused tension in North Waziristan, which may result into a military operation./end