al-Qaeda harbourers to surrender in return for Pak amnesty

The ceremony will be held today instead of Friday as originally planned because religious party lawmakers who brokered the surrender deal will be busy delivering sermons, Islamist MP Maulana Merajuddin told AFP.

Led by Nek Mohammad, a former Taliban commander from the defiant Yargulkhel sub-tribe, the five have been leading the fierce resistance to Pakistani army efforts in the frontier tribal region to kill, capture or expel up to 400 mainly Central Asian al-Qaeda fighters.

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Under threat of a repeat of last month's military operation in South Waziristan tribal area to smash what US commanders have described as a major al-Qaeda sanctuary, the rebel tribesmen have agreed to surrender in exchange for amnesty.

"Mohammad and his associates will not be arrested as they have been given amnesty under the agreement," a local official who could not be named told AFP.

"According to the agreement Mohammad and his associates will not indulge in any militant activities and they will not launch attacks in Afghanistan."

Merajuddin and Maulana Abdul Malik, both Islamist MPs from the tribal region, brokered the deal.

"By the grace of Allah (God) the matter has been resolved," Malik told AFP.

South Waziristan administrator Rehmatalluh Wazir said the surrender ceremony would be held at 10:00 am (0500 GMT) Saturday in the town of Shakai, 25km north of the area's main town Wana.