Bajaur militants offer shelter to Qaeda chief

Peshawar, Apr 19: Militants of Bajaur Agency have reportedly offered shelter to Osama bin Laden and Mulla Mohammad Omar "if they ask for it". Militant commander Maulana Faqir Mohammad and his fellow fighters said they wished to offer general amnesty to all their opponents, except the US spies and those involved in adultery, and announced the formation of various committees for settling people's conflicts.

For the first time the militants invited their once-harsh opponents, including the tribal elders, former and present parliamentarians and some clerics, to their stronghold in Barkhalozo area in the Mohmand subdivision to assure them that they should no more consider the militants a threat, The News quoted tribal sources as saying.

The militants spoke about the abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) by Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and told the Jirga members that they wanted the Shariah to replace the FCR.

All the Jirga members backed the militants' proposal and assured them to support their struggle for enforcing the Islamic laws in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Maulana Faqir Mohammad in his speech offered general amnesty to all their opponents and said they were now free in their movements in the tribal region. However, he explained there would be no change in their policy for alleged US spies and those engaged in adultery and un-Islamic activities.

It may be mentioned here that in various tribal regions, including Bajaur Agency, dozens of people were beheaded or gunned down on charges of spying on militants for the US. Osama bin Laden and Mulla Omar, he claimed were the true heroes of the Muslim world, adding he and his followers would lay down their lives for them.

The militant commander said they would not tolerate President Pervez Musharraf in any form in the country as "he detained their guests (Arab fighters) and sold them like animals to America".

ANI