Tribal leaders accept amnesty

SHAKAI, Pakistan — Pakistan granted amnesty Saturday to five tribal elders accused of harboring al-Qaida fugitives, and gave foreigners in a lawless region near the Afghan border until April 30 to surrender or face military action, officials said.

In return, the five Zali Khel tribesmen, who have hundreds of armed followers, promised to live peacefully, be loyal to Pakistan and not take part in any terrorist activity.

Authorities also agreed to release today 50 tribesmen arrested in a bloody Pakistani army operation in South Waziristan last month, its largest since it threw its support behind the U.S.-led war on terrorism in late 2001.

The amnesty was formalized at a ceremony Saturday attended by thousands of tribesmen and senior Pakistani government and military officials in the village of Shakai, 15 miles north of Wana, the main town in the region.

The deal could disappoint Pakistan’s American allies fighting Taliban holdouts and al-Qaida militants in Afghanistan. They had praised Pakistan’s recent crackdown in the tribal areas and made clear they expected to see more.

Hundreds of militants, including an Uzbek separatist leader allied to al-Qaida, were believed to have escaped the March 16-28 operation, which involved thousands of troops and left more than 120 people dead, including at least 48 soldiers.

Regional military commander Lt. Gen. Safdar Hussain told the gathering that foreigners with wives and children in Pakistan would be treated with "respect and honor" and allowed to stay if they surrendered and expressed loyalty to the country.

"But if they don’t accept this offer by April 30 then we will use force against them, which is the last option," Hussain said.

American, Afghan and Pakistani officials say the area has been used by Taliban militants to launch frequent attacks on U.S. soldiers in Paktia, Khost and Paktika provinces. An American soldier, former NFL player Pat Tillman, was killed in an ambush in Khost on Thursday.