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No foreign militant surrendered as deadline ends in Pak tribal area

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, April 30, IRNA -- Not a single foreign militant said to 
be hiding in Pakistani tribal areas appeared for registration as the 
deadline for their surrender to the authorities passed on Friday, an 
official said. 
Pakistan Army gave foreign militants a deadline to surrender by 
April 30 or leave the Pakistani territory. 
The Army had also warned of military action if they do not avail 
the opportunity offered by the authorities. 
Military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said, "The expiry 
of the deadline does not mean a military assault is imminent." 
Sultan`s statement indicates that the government of Pakistan still 
wants a political solution to avoid repeating of last month`s 
operation in the tribal belt. 
Local correspondents in Waziristan said that a jirga or council 
will meet on Saturday to decide about the foreigners. 
Members of parliament from tribal areas and local officials will 
also attend the jirga. 
Some 100 troops and militants were killed in a military operation 
in March when hundreds of Taliban and al Qaeda suspects and their 
local supporters resisted the Pakistani forces in the South Waziristan
tribal region. 
There were earlier reports that al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden`s 
deputy Ayman al-Zawahri is present in South Waziristan. 
President General Pervez Musharraf said last month that some 600 
foreign militants are hiding in the tribal areas bordering 
Afghanistan. 
"Launching operation in any part of tribal areas against the 
miscreants or foreign militants has no linkage with the deadline," the
military official added. 
Last week Pakistani authorities struck a deal with five top local 
tribesmen suspected of sheltering al-Qaeda and Taliban militants by 
granting them amnesty in return for a pledge not to stage militant 
attacks. 
Brig (Retd) Mehmoos Shah, Security Chief of FATA (Federally 
Administered Tribal Areas) said in Peshawar that deadline may be 
further extended. 
Foreign militants are reportedly reluctant to surrender fearing 
their arrest or onward handing over to US. 
TK/TSH/LS/210