Women and militants vote in Wana

[dabong1]

Women and militants vote in Wana; Fata calm




By Zulfiqar Ali

PESHAWAR, Feb 18: Polling was held peacefully in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) although there were apprehensions that militants might try to obstruct the electoral process. A large number of tribesmen exercised their right to vote.

For the first time in region’s history, women were seen casting vote at many polling stations in Wana, the regional headquarters of South Waziristan. Reports reaching here said that tribal elders had this time allowed them to exercise their voting right.

Women were also allowed to vote for the first time in the Yakaghund and Landi Kotal areas. In North Waziristan, militants also participated in the democratic process and were seen in voters’ queues.

The overall atmosphere in the agency was peaceful and turnout was high. Long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations in Miramshah, Mirali and Razmak sub-divisions. However, women were not allowed to cast their vote.

The turnout in the Mohmand and Orakzai regions, however, was comparatively low.

Elections were held in 10 of the 12 constituencies in Fata.

Polling in NA-42 in South Waziristan and NA-37 in the Kurram region have been postponed for security reasons.

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, a conglomerate of militant outfits, had already announced that it would not obstruct the polling process anywhere in the country.

About 18,000 voters in Tiarza area in South Waziristan, most of them Mehsud tribesmen, boycotted the polling. The Election Commission had set up 15 polling stations in Tank district.

In NA-38 in Lower Kurram, voter turnout was quite high and polling was peaceful.

In Mohmand region, however, the turnout was low.

Polling was also held in the Khyber Agency and in the troubled Darra Adamkhel region.

The militant-infested Bajaur region remained peaceful and voter turnout in its two constituencies was high.
Women and militants vote in Wana; Fata calm -DAWN - Top Stories; February 19, 2008

 

[IceCold]

Now how did they know that this person was a militant? Was he carrying a gun in hand or what? And why didnt anyone captured them?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Militants facilitate polling process in North Waziristan​

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

By Mushtaq Yusufzai

PESHAWAR: In a dramatic move, militants in North Waziristan Agency facilitated the polling process and tribesmen, unlike the rest of the tribal regions, evinced a keen interest in exercising their right to vote.

A day ago in the same militant-dominated tribal region, the government and tribal militants, who prefer to be called Taliban, had signed a peace deal and pledged to work together for maintenance of peace in future.

Tribal sources told The News by telephone from North Waziristan that not a single security personnel was sighted in almost all the 10 subdivisions of the volatile tribal region, including Miramshah, Mirali, Shawal, Data Khel, Ghulam Khan, Spinwam, Shawa, Dosali, Razmak and Garyum to conduct polls.

"They were the militants who conducted the polls and provided security to the voters," remarked a tribal elder from Miramshah, North Waziristan's regional headquarters, while talking to this scribe by telephone. The elder, who wished not be named, said all and sundry enthusiastically participated in the polling happily without fearing any security threat.

According to the sources, keeping in view security concerns in the region the government had tasked the militants' regional commanders with conducting the polls in a free, fair and peaceful atmosphere.

There were reports that the crucial task was given to militants after paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) and Khasadar force or tribal police personnel expressed their reluctance to conduct the election in the sensitive region.

During polling, witnesses said, armed militants were seen patrolling the streets and thoroughly frisking the voters before letting them enter the polling stations. "In some of the polling stations, they briefly detained people who were found violating Taliban's code of conduct for the election," said a tribesman from Mirali, the second biggest town of the agency.

However, he added that Taliban later set free the detainees, but with advice to help them facilitate smooth voting process, as they wanted the people elect sincere and pious representative. The Taliban later handed all the ballot boxes to the authorities after the polling closed.

It may be mentioned here that 16 candidates contested the election for the lone National Assembly seat of North Waziristan Agency (NA-40). Except a few candidates like PML-Q's Ajmal Khan, who served as federal minister in the past, and an independent, Abdul Qayyum, majority of the contestants belonged to Maulana Fazlur Rahman's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), but were contesting elections as independent candidates as they were not backed by the party. But only a former pro-MMA MNA from North Waziristan, Maulana Nek Zaman, was contesting polls as JUI-F nominee on NA-40.

Tribesmen said though Ajmal Khan, Mailk Kamran, Abdul Qayyum and Malik Aurangzeb were the potential winning candidates, yet another little known contestant Abdullah Shah, who is from a banned outfit AL-Rashid Trust, could surprise his political opponents by securing a high number of votes.

The long-bearded Abdullah Shah, who was contesting with a gun as his election symbol, was considered a favourite candidate of militants. It merits a mentioning here that the government signed a new peace deal with the militants on Sunday with a pledge to cooperate with each other in restoration of peace to the militancy-stricken tribal region.

The grand jirga, comprised around 230 elders of Utmanzai tribe and militants' representatives, was also attended by General Commanding Officer Major General Ghulam Dastagir and Political Agent North Waziristran.

It was agreed that the government would not conduct military operation without the consent of the tribal people and would take the Jirga into confidence if they received reports about the militants' presence anywhere in the tribal region.

Also, it was decided that the militants would not attack the security forces and the government installations and would also refrain from crossing into Afghanistan. Militants on December 17 had announced a unilateral ceasefire and then extended it almost five times when the government reciprocated accordingly. The ceasefire was, however, due to expire on Feb 17.

A senior militant commander on condition of anonymity told The News that the truce was signed in the grand Jirga where militant commanders, tribal elders as well as government officials were present. He said the nature of the agreement was almost the same signed on Sept 5, 2006 between the government and militants.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought this was an interesting aspect of the recent agreement inked with the NWa militants. I find the part about "reporting militants presence" interesting, since it seems militants helped facilitate the polling process. I would take that to mean that the GoP will be happy so long as there is no "militant activity" in the region. Its a positive sign that the militants actually helped the political process.

 

[unicorn]

^^^
All these efforts of ours are dismantled by Obama administration as it was not on their agenda.It was just four years back.That time was the best time when we had the chance to put things together.

1:07:00