Tribal
Areas ready to Confront Musharraf's Merger Plan
From
Hafiz Sana Ullah Khan
PESHAWAR: President Pervez Musharraf’s plan to merge the
defiant Tribal Areas in the north west of Pakistan with the rest
of the country is bound to face strong resistance and use of force
is likely to be repaid in kind.
The tribesmen are already furious following the hunt for Al Qaeda
and Taliban fugitives in thei
r
territory. They have been strongly resisting the Pakistan Army
and US military operations on the 360 clandestine routes to Afghanistan
along the 1400-mile long porous border.
Of late several hundred residential houses were bulldozed by the
Pakistani authorities in the Khyber Agency during a crackdown
on heroin and marijuana dens. These operations produced a lot
of hostility.
The tribesmen say they have their own tribal jirga system which
gives them power to take action against any criminal. The tribal
jirga has to decide and punish, be it death sentence or burning
of houses of the convict or imposition of fine.
Unrest and hostility has grown in these areas after the Musharraf
government recently disconnected power supply to some parts of
the Khyber Agency as the people refused to pay electricity charges.
The Government controlled Water and Power Development Authority
(WAPDA) also tried to install electricity meters in some houses
which was fiercely resisted. Gunmen took positions atop hills
as soon as power was disconnected. The situation cooled down when
power supply was restored after negotiations between the political
administration and the tribal leaders.
Unlike former Pakistan military dictator General Zia ul Haq, who
maintained a very close contact with the tribesmen, General Musharraf
has so far acted unilaterally. Their relations have turned so
bad they recently attacked the Governor of NWFP, a retired army
general, who escaped miraculously.
In other cases tribesmen got Al Qaeda fugitives released from
the Pakistani authorities and 10 Pakistani soldiers including
one officer were recently killed in a clash when Al Qaeda fugitives
were being given shelter in the south of NWFP.
Now the tribesmen are complaining that American forces enter Pakistani
tribal territory from the Afghan side at will and take whatever
action they like. Pakistani authorities are almost helpless before
them. A US General has already called for extension of US operations
to Pakistan, although General Musharraf is resisting any such
move.
More causes for trouble between the tribesmen and the Musharraf
Government emanate from extension of the devolution of administrative
and political power in the tribal areas which will be replacing
centuries old tribal jirga system. Polling for the election of
Nazims will be held in October. The new system will shatter the
old tribal structure.
Yet the most crucial test will come when the merger plan is put
into operation. The Tribesmen say they had an agreement with Quaid
e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Founder of Pakistan, for maintaining
the status quo in the tribal areas. But President Musharraf wants
to change the status through amendments in the constitution of
Pakistan.
However the question is not of the constitutional amendments.
The crux of the problem is how to control the tribal areas where
many areas are still inaccessible. Any operation inside the tribal
belt seems vulnerable, whether launched by the Musharraf government,
the Americans or tribal leaders themselves.
