Hafiz Gul Bahadur group (with which Pakistan Army had signed a peace agreement a decade ago) has scrapped the peace agreement in the wake of recent air strikes and have asked the locals to leave for Afghanistan by June 10 (instead of camps set up by the army). They have warned those going towards Pakistani side to be their enemies. Are we inching towards the final showdown?
N. Waziristan Taliban revoke peace accord; tell locals to leave
**PESHAWAR: The North Waziristan Taliban led by Hafiz Gul Bahadar have formally revoked the peace accord with the Pakistani government, a pamphlet distributed by the group in the tribal region said.
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**The faction, as the pamphlet sent to media by Bahadur’s spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi said, is now preparing to fight against what it said was the security forces’ planned operation, giving locals until June 10 to leave the area and move to safety.
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The pamphlet distributed Friday read that the government had broken the peace accord with the North Waziristan Taliban by launching air strikes with a full-fledged operation being planned for the tribal region.
**“The shura mujahideen has decided not to tolerate this aggression anymore and has opted to fight and defend Waziristan,” the pamphlet added.
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**The group also warned locals to refrain from seeking refuge in government-established camps. Instead, it directed them to move to areas close to the Afghan border whereby they could easily travel to Afghanistan.
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The group has also demanded locals to sever all ties with the government and military officials by June 10. It has warned that action would be taken against those who do not heed the militants’ warnings, adding that no one would be allowed to go to the military camps and government offices after the deadline.
**The group also announced to stop all its operations in Afghanistan after June 10, adding that it would not send any fighters across the border and would focus on defending North Waziristan, calling upon the tribesmen to either leave the area or join hands with the militants.
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[HR][/HR]Also read: North Waziristan offensive “not full-scale operation”
[HR][/HR]Security forces have pounded militant hideouts in different parts of North Waziristan during the past several days, stepping up pressure on militants in the tribal region.
The ‘operation’ began a day after military planes and helicopter gunships attacked suspected militants’ hideouts in Miramshah and Mirali sub-district of North Waziristan.
Officials have put the death toll at 71 which, they say, include local and foreign militants. Residents, however, put the casualty figure at 80, including women and children.
The military action launched last week on Wednesday resulted in displacement of a large number of civilians seeking shelter in adjoining districts.
Meanwhile, key militant commanders were reported killed in airstrikes in the tribal region.