Security
Pakistan: 25 militants freed in exchange for 213 soldiers
Tank, 5 Nov. (AKI/DAWN) - The Pakistani government freed 25 militants in exchange for the release of 213 soldiers who were held hostage by pro-Taliban militants in the tribal region of South Waziristan for more than two months.
Military spokesperson Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad confirmed that 211 soldiers had been released on Sunday while two had been freed on Saturday. In exchange, 25 militants, who had been arrested under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), were also freed.
Some of the freed militants had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court.
“I can’t say anything about the physical condition of soldiers at this moment, but there will be a debriefing session and medical check-up of all the released soldiers,” he told the Pakistani daily Dawn.
Sources said that militants had brought 213 soldiers to Tiarza Khula, a remote area in South Waziristan, and handed them over to tribal elders. The military authorities brought the 25 militants in two helicopters to the brigade headquarters in Zari Noor colony near Wana. They were later taken to Tiarza Khula for the swap.
The sources said that seven militants had been released from the central jail in Dera Ismail Khan and 18 had been brought from Islamabad.
Zulfiqar Mehsud, spokesman for the pro-Taliban militant Baitullah Mehsud, and his deputy Fakher Alam Mehsud handed over the soldiers to a jirga headed by the former member of the national assembly, Maulvi Mirajuddin.
Militants had on 30 August kidnapped 247 army personnel, including eight officers, in the Momi Karam area of South Waziristan. Later, 31 soldiers were released and three were shot dead.
The sources said that militants had returned weapons, vehicles and communication equipment captured from the military personnel.
Mirajuddin, who brokered the deal, said that issue had been resolved amicably and the two sides agreed to implement the Sararogha peace accord, in letter and spirit.
Under the peace accord, signed in February 2005, the militants say that Islamabad agreed to withdraw its troops from the tribal area.
The deal required the government to grant amnesty to Batiullah Mehsud and in return Mehsud agreed to stop assisting foreign militants, attacking government officials and installations and blocking development projects in the area.
Sources in Peshawar told Dawn that the government inb the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) had also withdrawn seven terrorism cases pending before the anti-terrorism court in Dera Ismail Khan against some of the arrested militants.
Military spokesperson Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad confirmed that 211 soldiers had been released on Sunday while two had been freed on Saturday. In exchange, 25 militants, who had been arrested under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), were also freed.
Some of the freed militants had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court.
“I can’t say anything about the physical condition of soldiers at this moment, but there will be a debriefing session and medical check-up of all the released soldiers,” he told the Pakistani daily Dawn.
Sources said that militants had brought 213 soldiers to Tiarza Khula, a remote area in South Waziristan, and handed them over to tribal elders. The military authorities brought the 25 militants in two helicopters to the brigade headquarters in Zari Noor colony near Wana. They were later taken to Tiarza Khula for the swap.
The sources said that seven militants had been released from the central jail in Dera Ismail Khan and 18 had been brought from Islamabad.
Zulfiqar Mehsud, spokesman for the pro-Taliban militant Baitullah Mehsud, and his deputy Fakher Alam Mehsud handed over the soldiers to a jirga headed by the former member of the national assembly, Maulvi Mirajuddin.
Militants had on 30 August kidnapped 247 army personnel, including eight officers, in the Momi Karam area of South Waziristan. Later, 31 soldiers were released and three were shot dead.
The sources said that militants had returned weapons, vehicles and communication equipment captured from the military personnel.
Mirajuddin, who brokered the deal, said that issue had been resolved amicably and the two sides agreed to implement the Sararogha peace accord, in letter and spirit.
Under the peace accord, signed in February 2005, the militants say that Islamabad agreed to withdraw its troops from the tribal area.
The deal required the government to grant amnesty to Batiullah Mehsud and in return Mehsud agreed to stop assisting foreign militants, attacking government officials and installations and blocking development projects in the area.
Sources in Peshawar told Dawn that the government inb the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) had also withdrawn seven terrorism cases pending before the anti-terrorism court in Dera Ismail Khan against some of the arrested militants.
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