ISLAMABAD CANNOT COME TO TERMS WITH PUSHTUNS

ISLAMABAD, May 10 (RIA Novosti) - The talks conducted by the Pakistani authorities and the country's military command with the elders of the Pushtun tribes populating the North-West Frontier province and having a right of internal self-administration have failed. The sides considered a prospect of registering foreigners hiding in the "area of independent Pushtun tribes" at the Afghan border, writes the News daily in its Monday issue.

Islamabad has prolonged until the end of Monday the start of registration and providing of guarantees that foreigners would no longer be involved in unlawful activities from the territory of Pakistan against third countries. Otherwise new military operations will be launched in Southern Waziristan (an area where the Pushtun Wazir tribes live).

According to the paper, the militants have announced an intention to "continue the jihad against the U.S. and its accomplices" in Pakistan's regions bordering on Afghanistan.

About 200 people, including 46 Pakistani soldiers and border guards, died during the major military operation in Southern Waziristan conducted in March this year.

The Pakistani authorities announced amnesty for all foreigners hiding in those regions and promised that after registration they may remain in the border area and would not be extradited to the states from which they had come.

However, amnesty does not concern Taliban leaders and Al-Qaeda militants.