Pakistan to give amnesty to tribesmen accused of harboring al-Qaida

WANA, Pakistan (AP) _ Pakistan has agreed to an amnesty for five renegade tribesmen accused of sheltering al-Qaida fugitives in return for their promise not to work against Pakistan's interests, a

Friday, April 23rd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WANA, Pakistan (AP) _ Pakistan has agreed to an amnesty for five renegade tribesmen accused of sheltering al-Qaida fugitives in return for their promise not to work against Pakistan's interests, a lawmaker said Friday.

Addressing a gathering of tribesmen in Wana, a town near the Afghan border, Maulana Abdul Malik, a member of Parliament's lower house, said the pardon for the five men would be announced by government and military officials on Saturday.

The men were to formally surrender on Saturday at a jirga, or tribal council, in the village of Shakai, 15 miles north of Wana, he said.

``They will announce that they will not work against Pakistan, and in return, they will be given amnesty by the government,'' said Malik, a lawmaker for a hardline religious coalition that has opposed the military's deployment in the region.

He would not give any other details.

On Thursday, Brig. Mahmood Shah, chief of security for Pakistan tribal regions, said the men agreed to surrender after meeting with Malik and another lawmaker this week.

He said the tribesmen would have to guarantee that they will not allow foreign terrorists to use their territory to enter Afghanistan, where al-Qaida and Taliban rebels often launch attacks against the U.S.-backed government and U.S. forces.

He could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

The five powerful tribesmen, whose surrender has been sought by the government for months, are Naik Mohammed, Noor Islam, Maulvi Abbas Khan, Maulvi Abdul Aziz and Sharif Khan.

Last month near Wana, Pakistan launched its largest military operation since it joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism in late 2001. About 163 local and foreign suspects were captured and more than 120 people were killed, including at least 48 soldiers. Some of the soldiers had been ambushed and executed by militants.

The military said hundreds of militants, including the five men, managed to escape.

The operation was halted after a council of tribal elders requested time to negotiate with the rebels and find a peaceful solution.

Authorities say Pakistani troops will remain in the tribal regions, which have historically been largely free of central government control. The border region is a possible hide-out for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri.