Pakistan Hands Over Tribal Areas To US?

It seems that the government of Pakistan headed by President Asif Ali Zardari has handed over tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border to the United States. Now the US troops have been carrying out search operation in parts of tribal areas. There are reports of Pakistan's understanding with the US on the issue of US attacks on tribal areas. But still the people of tribal areas are in dark. They were being killed by both Pakistani and US troops without any reason. Now, according to the tribal elders, is the time that this question must be probed that who have brought terrorists to tribal areas. Who are now sponsoring these terrorist groups? The common people are not aware. Rulers must anwser this question. Terrorist groups are still enjoying the support of the officials working within the system of government.

Two US choppers, carrying American troops, reportedly intruded into the Pakistani tribal territory and landed at the Bange Dar village of North Waziristan Agency (NWA), bordering the Khost province in Afghanistan, and abducted three nomads on Monday night.

Separately, suspected militants killed four more alleged US spies in the Taliban-controlled North Waziristan tribal region on the night between Monday and Tuesday.Tribal sources told The News that two US choppers landed at the Bange Dar village. The soldiers carried out a brief search operation in the village and detained three nomads and took them along to the neighbouring country.

The sources informed this correspondent from Miramshah, headquarters of NWA, by telephone that the US choppers landed at the border near Ghulam Khan area and searched the small village for suspected Taliban militants.

Quoting residents of Bange Dar village, the sources said after failing to find out any militants in the village, the US troops later held three ‘innocent’ men on suspicion of having links with Taliban militants involved in attacks on the US and Nato forces across the border.

However, senior government officials as well as security authorities based in Miramshah denied violation of Pakistan’s airspace by the coalition forces. “We have our troops deployed along the border with Afghanistan but none of them reported any such violation by the foreign forces,” a military officer told this scribe but wished not to be named.

The government officials said the incident might have happened across the border in Afghanistan as the Afghan nomads had set up small-tented villages inside Afghan territory. When reached by telephone, Maj-Gen Athar Abbas, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), denied reports about violation of Pakistan’s airspace by the US choppers.

“No, I don’t have any kind of such report. I am in touch with senior military officials but none of them talked about this issue, which I am sure would not have taken place,” explained Maj-Gen Abbas.

Meanwhile, suspected militants in North Waziristan killed four more alleged US spies and threw their bodies on main roads in various parts of the restive tribal region. Two of the alleged US spies were said to be Afghan nationals and the other two were identified as local tribesmen. The tribal sources said bullet-riddled bodies of the two Afghans were found on road in Sarobi village near Spalga.

Body of one tribesman was recovered from Miramshah Bazaar and other’s body was found from the Razmak Road. The suspected militants left hand-written letters Pashto language in which four of the slain men were accused of spying on ‘Mujahideen’ in North Waziristan for the US forces in Afghanistan.

Source: thenews.com.pk