8 die as bullets settle militants’ argument over widow

Islamabad, Aug 30 (IANS/AKI) The argument over an Arab militant’s widow last weekend became so heated that gunfire broke out among insurgent factions, leaving eight people dead, militant sources told AKI from the Pakistan’s North Waziristan.

The dead include Usman Punjabi, the abductor of British journalist Asad Qureshi.

Tension mounted between the Punjabi (non-Pushtun Pakistanis) and Mehsud (local tribe) militants after an Arab militant was killed in a drone strike, leaving behind his widow.

“The widow was rich and after the incident of husband’s death she was alone. The local Mehsud tribesmen took her into their custody and were aiming to arrange her marriage to one of their own men. Usman Punjabi objected and insisted she must be left to her own free will to select whether she wants to marry into the Mehsud tribe,” said a source who witnessed the event.

After the Muslim Ramadan breakfast Saturday morning, all militants belonging to Mehsud tribes and the Punjabi camp gathered in a local school in Dande Darpa Khail in North Waziristan near Afghanistan to discuss the widow.

The argument between the two parties intensified until both parties pulled out their guns and opened fire. A total eight people were killed, including Usman Punjabi.

“We have killed the spy”, Mehsud’s members cried after killing Usman Punjabi.

Usman Punjabi was the abductor and assassin of former ISI official Khalid Khawaja and also abducted former ISI official Colonel Imam and British journalist Asad Qureshi.

Usman refused to release those he abducted despite the instruction of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The fate of abducted is still unknown.

–IANS/AKI