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Turn a jihadi or get killed in Waziristan

     Lahore: It's a perfect case of finding yourself between the Devil and the Deep Sea. If you want to escape being executed by the Taliban then get yourself registered for "jihad in Afghanistan" at the militia's recruiting office in South Waziristan. "You have to register yourself if you want to live. It does make a difference when you are enrolled with the Taliban," the Daily Times quoted a tribal elder as saying in Peshawar while attending a jirga with President General Pervez Musharraf. The elder, however, spoke on conditions of anonymity to escape reprisals from the militia and the political administration. There is no ground of being neutral in Taliban territory. Anyone not with them is taken as someone against them, and so the safest course is to register with them and stay silent, he said. "Registration makes the militants believe you are with them. Military movement is restricted and a weekly convoy brings reinforcement to Wana where elders take a huge risk by visiting the administration. We even fear that the militants might have bugged our phones," the elder said. He said the federal government's peace deal with former militants in late 2004 had strengthened the Taliban in South Waziristan, and now they have opened recruiting offices in capital Wana and many other areas. "The Taliban have opened recruiting offices in Wana, Makeen and Barwend areas and are influential because they are providing residents the relief that the political administration denies. The clerics are replacing chieftains in all committees and the government appears to be happy with changing situation in South Waziristan.

     The situation in Waziristan has been quite grim for sometime. The local Taliban have taken control of most of North and South Waziristan and enforced a strict Islamic code, including a ban on sale of music and films. They have also ordered the men to not shave off their beards. While they have established an Islamic court in Wana, headquarters of South Waziristan, replacing the traditional jirga, in Miramshah, capital of North Waziristan, curfew has been imposed after bloody clashes between federal forces and alleged Al Qaeda militants. And though the capital is under the control of the security forces, the situation is far from normal and sporadic incidents of violence occur every now and then. Recently, the Pakistan military had to resort to heavy artillery fire and press helicopter gunships into service to pound Taliban hideouts in retaliation to an attack on a security check post in North Waziristan. ISPR said that security forces "retaliated" after seven rockets were fired at the Thall check-post. The federal government has also imposed a ban on carrying arms and ammunition in North Waziristan, which has met with stiff opposition from tribal elders who have said that the ban, if enforced, will put their lives at stake. Elsewhere, Musharraf has said that though the situation in Waziristan is bad, it has not deteriorated to the extent that it won't be possible to hold talks to find an amicable solution to the crisis.

Death for reporting honour killings

       Lahore: Honour killing is recognised by Pakistan as a crime punishable under the country's federal law, but tribal jirgas routinely pass judgements in favour of honour killing for reasons like elopement, adultery and the like. If that is not surprising enough, then this surely is, for a tribal jirga in Dir has decided that any person reporting an honour killing to the police or the authorities will be killed by the jirga since the publicising of such cases brought a bad name to the area. Malik Faiz Muhammad, a member of the Nihag-Wari jirga in Upper Dir, said that that the tribal council took the decision to stick to its verdict that honour killing was permissible and those committing it would not be punished. Those opposing or violating the verdict will be killed. "We stick to our verdict that honour killing is permissible and those who commit it will not be liable to any punishment. We will also not allow the aggrieved party to report the case to the police or file the case before a court. We will kill those who will violate the jirga verdict," the Daily Times quoted him as saying. Malik Faiz said the jirga would investigate such cases and punish those found guilty on its own, adding that the jirga members were ready to sacrifice their lives to uphold their verdict. While a Wari police station official said that over 150 people had attended the jirga, Malik Faiz said that that jirga consisted of more than 4,000 people representing the entire area. Reports said that union council nazims also attended the jirga called by the Painda Khel tribe and endorsed its decision. The federal government has however, taken a very strong view of the jirga's verdict and ordered the provincial government to investigate the matter. Sajid Mohmand, Upper Dir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), said that the government would not accept the jirga's "illegal" verdict on honour killings, and all such cases would be registered persons found guilty, punished according to the due process of law.