Pakistani tribesmen get time to flush out fugitives

Pakistan tribal leaders, ordered to flush out suspected al-Qaida fugitives along the Afghan border, may be given more time to allow a 2,000-strong posse to finish the task, officials said today.

“If they deliver positively then we don’t have any problems to give them more time, but if they just want to prolong this process, then we will reconsider,” said Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, governor of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province.

“We don’t want bloodshed. If there can be a peaceful solution of this problem we will prefer that,” he said.

Earlier this month, authorities set an April 20 ultimatum for tribesmen in the South Waziristan border region to hunt down terrorists and hand over anyone harbouring them or face fierce military action.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan they wanted to “exhaust all the political options” and that “the army is not contemplating military action at the moment.”

Last month, Pakistan’s army killed more than 60 militants and arrested 163 suspects during a major operation in the same area against al-Qaida terrorists.

At least 48 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians also died.

The tribal militia, or lashkar, fanned out across the region on Sunday, armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers, in an effort to satisfy the government and prevent another army operation.

Shah said this lashkar was “more determined” than previous ones and had the support of the local Yargul Khel tribe. “We will watch the situation for two or three days,” he said.

Officials said the tribal militia had today burned down the houses of two tribesmen who sheltered al-Qaida men and had ignored warnings from the elders.

One of the houses had a number of basement rooms that authorities suspect could have been used to shelter to fugitives.

Tribesmen were not offering any resistance but there had been no arrests.

The remote tribal regions are believed to be hide-outs for fugitives including al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri.