Confrontation and clashes between different groups not only bring destruction and carnage but stress for the locale officials who have to control the affected area. But, Pakistani officials seems contented as the blood-spattered struggle between local tribesmen and Central Asian al-Qaeda militants, settled in the tribal area of northwestern Pakistan, has devoured about 130 lives in a week long clash.
The conflict that started among few people only has now turned into a battle involving thousands of fighters from the either side. Militants are exchanging mortar, rocket and assault rifle fire in four areas of South Waziristan, where the clashes broke out Monday.
Pakistani authorities are not yet directly involved in the conflict, between the local Pashtun tribe members, allied with Taliban supporters and Uzbek, Chechen and Arab militants, who have gathered near the Pak-Afghan border after the US led forces thrashed them out of Afghanistan in 2001, but they are quite satisfied with the things have progressed in the last one week. Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, a military spokesman, asserted,
We have asked the tribal governments to take responsibility for their areas and not shelter foreign militants. That is what they are doing.
The remoteness and local tribal law in Waziristan has offered a safe refuge for al-Qaeda militants in recent years. Pakistani authorities has always asked local tribesmen not to support foreign militants but largely failed to take any serious action against them. Aftab Sherpao, Interior Minister, said,
For the first time ever, the local tribesmen have taken up arms against the foreign militants in South Waziristan. This is a big breakthrough.
The conflict between the local tribesmen and the foreign militants may (right now) appear to move in the right direction for the Pakistani officials, it could easily lead to new problems, for the tribesmen are battling the foreign fighters for their personal reasons, and in the days to come there is a strong possibility of a situation where the tribesmen or militants force their own control and just ignore the government completely.
