DAWN / Pakistan
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Thursday, 30 Apr, 2009
Forces regain control of Daggar
The deployment was backed by helicopter gunships and a curfew was imposed for an indefinite period, officials said.
The ISPR said that 50 militants had been killed and several hideouts dismantled during the operation which was launched on Tuesday.
According to sources, militants released Frontier Constabulary personnel and policemen they had taken hostage in Pir Baba.
Relentless shelling by helicopters and artillery destroyed about a dozen vehicles in Daggar and nearby valleys, local people said. Hospital sources said two women were killed and six people injured in Ambela valley.
Army, Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary troops, backed by Cobra helicopters, are conducting the operation in the district which had virtually been occupied by militants from Swat on April 4.
Targets in Buner were pounded by artillery from a position at Rustam in Mardan district.
Jets and helicopters bombed Kalil Kandow, Karakar, Sar Malang Baba, Ambela Dara, Ambela Mazafat, Darand and Dumai Kandow. Militants occupying positions on hilltops fired at helicopters.
Militants put up resistance in Ambela when troops launched a search operation. According to the sources, one soldier was killed and three others injured in an exchange of fire.
The ISPR claimed that troops had destroyed two dumps of heavy weapons in the area.
Troops attacked dozens of vehicles for violating curfew in Daggar and Swari.
A car carrying women and a coach taking girl students to college were damaged on the Daggar road. No casualty was reported.
In Swari, a car carrying a family was destroyed by security personnel and a 50-year-old man was injured. A vegetable vendor was shot when he was returning to Krapa village. The injured men were taken to the Sultan Genera Hospital.
In Ambela village, a three-year-old boy playing in the lawn of his home was injured and two women of his family were killed by firing.
Hundreds of students missed the first paper of FA and FSc examination and two were injured by firing. The exams started on Wednesday and will continue till May 19.
There was no official announcement about postponement of the examination in the district, but some centres postponed the paper because students and examiners could not reach there.
Absence of students and most of the teachers forced government and private schools to shut for an indefinite period. Seminaries also sent their students home.
Army used the area of Jabai Kandow between Rustam and Ambela as the helipad for flying troops to Daggar.
Local people said helicopters attacked hideouts of militants and a seminary.
According to witnesses, militants on motorbikes, cars and pick-ups patrolled the streets from Pit Baba to Jure and Daggar.
Militants also robbed a bank.
People continued leaving their homes for Swabi via Chinglai-Totalai, Mardan and Malakand via Kingar Galai and Bazdaroo. A substantial number of people have also moved out of the areas to other places in the district.
Tension in Dir
In Lower Dir, the situation remained tense and militants were attacked with artillery in Maidan, despite ISPR’s announcement that the operation in the district had been completed.
According to local people, a woman and a motorcyclist were killed by mortar shells.
They said nine shells were fired on Kulalano Dherai, Atto, Sangolai and Sher Khanay.
Security forces set up a checkpoint in Rehanpur village on Odigaram Road and troops were deployed at the Zulam Bride linking Lower Dir with Bajaur Agency.
According to sources, militants went into hiding in several parts of Maidan and they were no more seen in the area.
Displaced families faced problems in returning to their homes in a curfew-like situation.
Dozens of families crossed the Odigaram Bridge in both directions amid confusion about whether the operation had ended.
Sherin Zada of Bishgram Maidan said he had taken his family back to the area, but returned to Odigaram because of shelling.
Syasat Khan, representative of Al Khidmat Foundation in a camp in Odigaram, said 40 families returned to Maidan and 20 others left the area on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Maidan Peace Jirga urged the government to end the operation, enforce Nizam-i-Adl and lift curfew.
The jirga, presided over by Amanullah, decided to meet the banned TNSM’s chief Sufi Mohammad in his hujra, but security personnel did not allow it to proceed.
Our Correspondent in Mingora adds: A deputy of Swat Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah claimed that up to 70 personnel of the Frontier Corps were in custody of militants in Buner.
Shah Doran said on Taliban’s FM radio that the group had also kidnapped Adalat Khan, a union council nazim of the Kabal tehsil.
He said several police stations had been overrun by Taliban in Buner.
18 of 70 kidnapped security men recovered: ISPR
He said 18 of the 70 security personnel kidnapped from Sultanwas had been recovered from Karakar.
He said troops had established linkages with police and FC after securing Daggar on Wednesday morning.
Citing intelligence reports, he said weapons were reaching terrorists through Afghanistan.
He said there were also reports of infiltration from the western border.
Replying to a question, he said there were reports that some people from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas had reached Swat to help local militants.
When asked about additional support announced by the United States after the launching of the Buner operation, he said: “The decision has not yet been formally conveyed to us.”
The ISPR chief accused militants of using innocent people as human shield.
He said Maulana Fazlullah was running a large number of radio stations.
A high-frequency station had been jammed and technology was being acquired to jam low-frequency stations.
He said a ground operation was under way in Ambela, Karakar and Malandar.
Security forces were facing stiff resistance in Ambela and a large number of devices had exploded near the Ambela Bridge, he said.
The Buner district coordination officer was flown into Daggar to take over the administration.
The FC inspector-general also visited the area and met civil officials and security personnel.
He said security personnel were engaging miscreants fleeing Daggar area and Ambela heights.
He said militants had occupied the Sultanwas, Nawagai and Ziarat Pir Baba police stations.
Answering a question, he said care was being exercised to ensure that there was no collateral damage.
He asked the media to report the situation responsibly.
The spokesman rejected allegations that the ISI was covertly providing space to Taliban and passing on wrong information to its allies in the ‘war on terror’.
Video clips were shown at the briefing to demonstrate people having been trapped by militants.
Army exercising restraint during Buner operation: ISPR
ISLAMABAD: Security forces were exercising restraint during the military operation in Buner as the militants were using civilians as human shields, DG ISPR Athar Abbas said on Thursday.
Abbas, the army’s chief spokesman, said security forces continue to face resistance from extremists who have taken up positions in the mountains of the district.
However, troops had taken full control of Daggar, the administrative capital of Buner district. He said troops are currently defusing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by militants in the region.
The operation was going slowly because security forces were taking care to avoid collateral damage, Abbas said. It may take another week to complete the military operation in Buner, he added.
Dir operation
Meanwhile, security forces destroyed four militant vehicles in the Qamber Bazaar and Lal Qilla areas of Lower Dir, Abbas said.
Normalcy was returning to the Lower Dir area and the curfew had been relaxed in the area between 8am and 1 pm, he said.
Swat
The Swat peace agreement is still intact, the army spokesman said.
Militants are kidnapping and killing security personnel in violation of Swat peace agreement, Abbas alleged. But security forces are showing restraint in order to keep the peace agreement intact, he added.
Police vacate station in Kalam as four abducted
MINGORA: Security situation in the restive Swat valley remains on edge amid escalating violence, despite government efforts to implement sharia in the Malakand Division.
In the latest incident, Swat Taliban abducted four policemen men from various areas of the district.
Official sources say the police have vacated their station in Kalam owing to security concerns. Policemen in the valley feel that they are ill-equipped to handle a large scale attack by the militants.
Sufi no longer missing, criticises military action
PESHAWAR: The Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief, who was apparently missing for the past few days, addressed a jirga Thursday (today) in Maidan area of Lower Dir and demanded of the government to immediately stop the military operations in Buner and Lower Dir.
Sufi Mohammad said the use of force will only serve to further promote the Taliban ideology in the Malakand Division and added that the government should have consulted him before initiating the operation.
He also blamed the government for
violating the Swat peace deal and called for an immediate ceasefire to
allow the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their homes.
He, however, said the TNSM was willing to restart the peace dialogue.
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Wednesday, 29 Apr, 2009
Govt in search of Sufi to finalise Darul Qaza
PESHAWAR: Frontier government has said it is ready to announce Darul Qaza for Malakand division, but it is waiting to discuss it with Maulana Sufi Mohammad before making it public.
Speaking at
a news conference at the Media Centre on Tuesday, Provincial Minister
Mian Iftikhar Hussain said all arrangements had been finalised and it
was a matter of hours for the government to announce the formation of
Darul Qaza, but they wanted to first discuss it with Sufi Mohammad, who
was not available to the government for the last two days.
He
said that he visited Timergarah on Monday to meet Sufi Sahib and
discuss constitution of Darul Qaza with him, but he was away in Lower
Dir. He said that it was a matter of trust and ‘we want to get it
verified from Sufi Sahib, who had brokered the peace accord’.
The minister said there was no delay on government’s part. ‘We are trying to contact Sufi Sahib to make a formal announcement of the Darul Qaza setup.’
He said media should cooperate with the government in locating Sufi. He said Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi, a banned outfit of Sufi Mohammad, and Tehrik-i-Taliban of Maulana Fazlullah had suspended talks with the government, but they had not finished peace deal.
He said both —TNSM and Taliban —were unhappy over a clash between militants and security forces in Lower Dir.
Mr Hussain denied that provincial government had asked the federal government to launch a fresh military operation in Lower Dir or any other district of Malakand. He said some unidentified militants attacked a convoy of security personnel in Maidan in Lower Dir, after which the security forces retaliated and opened fire on them.
He termed a defensive attack, because it was natural for forces to respond them. Owing to their lenient stance, he said, in the past security forces had borne heavy losses of lives at the hands of militants in these areas.
He said that the provincial government would not allow anybody to set up a parallel administration in any part of the province, close roads, erect barricades and extort people on one or other pretext.
He said after peace deal there was no reason of harassing residents of Buner, brandishing weapons and restraining security forces from patrolling in Swat and other districts.
He said the security forces were heading towards the Dir-Bajaur border to seal it and stop the penetration of militants into Lower Dir. But, some unidentified attacked their convoy, he added.
The minister requested Sufi Mohammad through media to come to Timergarah or Swat and review the plan of Darul Qaza. ‘It is our honest move to discuss the plan with Sufi Sahib to avoid any future misunderstanding about the issue,’ he added.
He said the government-sponsored all-party conference (APC) and Malakand grand jirga had suggested to the government to appoint qazis and constitute Darul Qaza forthwith and end the prevailing uncertainty. He said the government was sincere in its efforts to enact the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in letter and spirit.
He asked the federal government to advise its ministers to consult the Frontier coalition government before commenting on Swat situation and related matters. He underlined the need for flushing out non-local militants from Buner.Militants set up base camp in Kala Dhaka
MANSEHRA: Militants have infiltrated into Kala Dhaka, the tribal belt of Mansehra, from Buner and established a base camp in the area, official sources told Dawn on Tuesday.
They said over 100 militants of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan had entered the provincially administered tribal area of Kala Dhaka from the neighbouring Buner district and had established a camp in its Loniyian area.
Loniyian, according to the sources, once used to be a training camp of militants that was closed after the government launched a crackdown on such camps.
The official sources claimed that the camp had again been made functional where new recruits were being trained. The information, however, could not be confirmed from independent sources.
Last week, the local political administration had terminated the services of four Levies constables who had left the Loniyian checkpost vacant. Sources said these Levies men had been threatened by militants to close the post and leave the site.
The infiltration of militants into the area has worried tribesmen of Loniyian, Chemaser, Dari Kaka Khail, Mungri and other areas and they held a jirga the other day, which was also attended by Moman Khan, the alleged mastermind of the attacks on some NGOs following the Lal Masjid operation.
The elders had asked Moman Khan to leave the area along with his comrades to their respective areas, otherwise tribesmen would take up arms against them. ‘We will not allow anybody to use our soil for their militant and sabotage activities at any cost,’ the elders had said.
The sources said Moman Khan had told the jirga he was not involved in any militant activity in the region and had left the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. ‘If the jirga finds my involvement in any outlawed activity, it should not expel me but kill me and I won’t resist,’ Moman Khan had told the jirga.
The jirga members had also met the political administrator of Kaka Dhaka in Oghi and apprised him about the development.
The sources said the presence of militants and the killing of a couple on the decree of a jirga in Kala Dhaka had cost Mansehra DCO Israr Khan the job as political agent as his services were withdrawn and he was asked by the provincial government to report to the establishment division.
Mr Israr had dispatched a report about the presence of militants in Kala Dhaka to the provincial home department, which was quite difference from the reports sent by other law-enforcement agencies as he had ruled out the presence of the training camp in Kala Dhaka but said there were 20 to 25 militants in the area.
Kala Dhaka is considered an important route to the strategic Karakoram Highway and other parts of the country as it shares boundary with the restive areas. The area is run only by 100 untrained Levis personnel and its officers are located in Oghi, a tehsil of the Mansehra district.
All the matters relating to
Kala Dhaka are settled through jirga and the political administration
has no role to stop carrying out its decisions as was witnessed last
week when a couple was killed on the jirga’s order.
Law-enforcement agencies have held the Kala Dhaka militants responsible for sending threatening letters to NGOs in Battagram, which led to suspending of activities by almost all the NGOs in the district three days ago.
According
to a source, the mountainous area of Chatter Plane in the Mansehra
district could be the potential abode of the Taliban.
Buner operation continues as troops seize key town
DAGGAR: Troops took the main town in Buner district, 60 miles northwest of Islamabad, after being dropped by helicopters behind Taliban lines, a military spokesman said on the second day of the offensive on Wednesday.
The spokesman said troops had secured Daggar town in Buner valley and linked up with police and officers from the Frontier Constabulary.
Earlier, at least 60 personnel of police and the Frontier Constabulary were taken hostage by Taliban in Buner’s Pir Baba area as security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and jet fighters, launched an operation in the district on Tuesday and pounded suspected hideouts of militants in some of its border areas.
A convoy of security personnel entered Buner from Mardan after imposition of curfew. Security forces set up a checkpoint on a road at Babajee Kandow, around six kilometres into Buner.
Militants took control of the Pir Baba area, including a police station, and took hostage 43 personnel of the Frontier Constabulary and 17 policemen. The SHO of the police station, Bukht Raj, was among the hostages.
Two policemen who were out of the police station at the time of the attack told Dawn that militants had set up their headquarters at a mosque adjacent to the shrine of Pir Baba and the hostages were taken there.
Official sources said the operation had been launched to flush out Taliban who had entered Buner on April 4 from Swat. They took control of the district a week later.
Following negotiations led by Sufi Mohammad, chief of the banned TNSM, militants had agreed on April 24 that outsiders would pull out and only local Taliban would stay in Buner.
However, officials believed that the militants had backed out of their commitment and they were present in Buner in a large number.
Planes and helicopters attacked suspected hideouts of militants in Kalil Kandow, Rajgalai, Speerkee, Balookhan, Karakar, Naveedand, Sar Malang Baba, Baba Jee Kandow and Maskeepur Ambela. The attacks started at about 12:30 p.m.
Most of the areas are along Buner’s border with Mardan, Malakand and Swat. An official said the district headquarters hospital in Daggar had not received any body or injured person till late into the night.
According to witnesses, militants fired at helicopters with heavy machineguns. Soldiers of the Frontier Corps entered the district through Ambela Pass along with Frontier Constabulary personnel amid shelling and launched a search in the mountainous region of Baba Jee Kandow.
A large number of Taliban who had taken control of the bazaar at Pir Baba forced people to stay indoors. Witnesses saw Taliban load a pick-up truck with weapons outside the police station.
Amidst a tense situation, people prepared to leave areas where Taliban were present. District police chief Abdur Rashed Khan said curfew had been imposed in Buner for an indefinite period.
Security forces continued their operation in Maidan area of Lower Dir district. Militants snatched a vehicle of the National Logistics Cell and took eight employees hostage, sources said.
Despite heavy artillery shelling, they continued patrolling Gulabad area of Adenzai tehsil. A militant ‘commander’, Arshad, said the hostages would be freed only if the company handed two more vehicles to Taliban. He said Taliban would not stop their activities in Adenzai until the military operation was stopped.
A heavy exodus of people continued from villages of Maidan towards Odigaram and Sar Lara Samar Bagh on Tuesday. Hundreds of families crossed the Odigaram Bridge and Sar Lara hilltop.
The displaced people were facing problems because of lack of transport, food and shelter and they had no idea where to go.
However, a military officer claimed that security forces had gained complete control over Maidan tehsil. He said militants had been involved in kidnappings, target killings and other crimes.
Talking to journalists by phone, a militant commander, Hafeezullah, threatened to attack all leaders of the ruling Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party if the government did not end the operation by Wednesday.
He claimed that local Taliban leader Maulvi Shahid was alive and he would soon appear before the media. Refuting the government’s claims about Taliban casualties, he said only four of his colleagues had been killed.
He said security forces had again attacked Maulvi Shahid’s house on Tuesday, but he was not home.
Locals said two villagers killed by shelling on Monday, cab driver Fazal Malik of Kotkay and Manda Akbar Khan of Dokrai, were buried in the night. They alleged several schools were damaged when security forces shelled the area.
60 security men taken hostage: Ground, air operation launched in Buner
A convoy of security personnel entered Buner from Mardan after imposition of curfew.
Security forces set up a checkpoint on a road at Babajee Kandow, around six kilometres into Buner.
Militants took control of the Pir Baba area, including a police station, and took hostage 43 personnel of the Frontier Constabulary and 17 policemen. The SHO of the police station, Bukht Raj, was among the hostages.
Two policemen who were out of the police station at the time of the attack told Dawn that militants had set up their headquarters at a mosque adjacent to the shrine of Pir Baba and the hostages were taken there.
Official sources said the operation had been launched to flush out Taliban who had entered Buner on April 4 from Swat. They took control of the district a week later.
Following negotiations led by Sufi Mohammad, chief of the banned TNSM, militants had agreed on April 24 that outsiders would pull out and only local Taliban would stay in Buner.
However, officials believed that the militants had backed out of their commitment and they were present in Buner in a large number.
Planes and helicopters attacked suspected hideouts of militants in Kalil Kandow, Rajgalai, Speerkee, Balookhan, Karakar, Naveedand, Sar Malang Baba, Baba Jee Kandow and Maskeepur Ambela. The attacks started at about 12.30pm.
Most of the areas are along Buner’s border with Mardan, Malakand and Swat.
An official said the district headquarters hospital in Daggar had not received any body or injured person till late into the night.
According to witnesses, militants fired at helicopters with heavy machineguns.
Soldiers of the Frontier Corps entered the district through Ambela Pass along with Frontier Constabulary personnel amid shelling and launched a search in the mountainous region of Baba Jee Kandow.
A large number of Taliban who had taken control of the bazaar at Pir Baba forced people to stay indoors.
Witnesses saw Taliban load a pick-up truck with weapons outside the police station.
Amidst a tense situation, people prepared to leave areas where Taliban were present.
District police chief Abdur Rashed Khan said curfew had been imposed in Buner for an indefinite period.
Haleem Asad adds from Timergara: Security forces continued their operation in Maidan area of Lower Dir district.
Militants snatched a vehicle of the National Logistics Cell and took eight employees hostage, sources said.
Despite heavy artillery shelling, they continued patrolling Gulabad area of Adenzai tehsil.
A militant ‘commander’, Arshad, said the hostages would be freed only if the company handed two more vehicles to Taliban. He said Taliban would not stop their activities in Adenzai until the military operation was stopped.
A heavy exodus of people continued from villages of Maidan towards Odigaram and Sar Lara Samar Bagh on Tuesday.
Hundreds of families crossed the Odigaram Bridge and Sar Lara hilltop.
The displaced people were facing problems because of lack of transport, food and shelter and they had no idea where to go.
However, a military officer claimed that security forces had gained complete control over Maidan tehsil. He said militants had been involved in kidnappings, target killings and other crimes.
Talking to journalists by phone, a militant commander, Hafeezullah, threatened to attack all leaders of the ruling Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party if the government did not end the operation by Wednesday.
He claimed that local Taliban leader Maulvi Shahid was alive and he would soon appear before the media. Refuting the government’s claims about Taliban casualties, he said only four of his colleagues had been killed.
He said security forces had again attacked Maulvi Shahid’s house on Tuesday, but he was not home.
Locals said two villagers killed by shelling on Monday, cab driver Fazal Malik of Kotkay and Manda Akbar Khan of Dokrai, were buried in the night. They alleged several schools were damaged when security forces shelled the area.
Response appropriate: US
US officials also hoped that Pakistan would ‘sustain’ this action, unlike in the past when the army either withdrew or ended up signing a peace deal.
The operation against the militants in Dir and Buner was “exactly the appropriate response” to halt the Taliban’s progress, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.
“We are encouraging of these efforts,” Mr Morrell said. “We hope they can sustain these operations.”
The Pentagon also asked Islamabad to take “forceful action” against the advancing militants in other areas and assured of the Obama administration’s full support.
“We are hopeful and encouraging of the Pakistani military that they are able to sustain these operations against the militants and to stem this encroachment on the more populated areas of Pakistan,” the Pentagon spokesman told a briefing in Washington.
“We think that the military operations that are under way in Buner and Dir districts are exactly the appropriate response to the offensive operations by the Taliban and other militants over the past few weeks,” he said.
At the State Department, spokesman Robert Wood said that Washington would support the Pakistan government in its fight against the militants.
“We will be with them as they continue to fight these extremists... What Pakistan needs to do with these extremists is not to give in to them and to take forceful action. We will be supporting them as best we can as they go forward,” he said.
Action triggered by Taliban plan to take over Buner
The operation led by the inspector general of Frontier Corps (FC) was being backed by army troops and air force jets, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said at a press briefing.
He said the operation in Lower Dir had been completed, around 70 militants had been killed and others flushed out of the area. He said there were some pockets of resistance which would be cleared soon.
He said the militants who had entered Buner early this month were involved in kidnapping and killing policemen and forcibly recruiting youths for training in Swat. They started building bunkers in the mountains and terrorising and intimidating local people without any justification.
He said the government had exercised restraint and demonstrated patience and warned the militants to leave the area and launched a full-scale operation as the last option.
Maj-Gen Abbas expressed the hope that the operation, launched at about 4pm on Tuesday, would be completed in one week.
The announcement came an hour after Interior Minister Rehman Malik said around 450 militants had been spotted in Buner and warned them to leave the area.
“I warn Baitullah Mehsud that enough is enough,” he said while talking to reporters. The minister ruled out any possibility of Taliban reaching the Margalla hills.
The ISPR chief said the objective of the operation was to eliminate and expel militants from Buner and ensure that the people of the area lived in peace without being subjected to oppression.
The recording of the conversation of Maulana Fazlullah, which was played at the briefing, indicated that the militants had no plan to move out of Buner and that they were gearing up for a showdown with security forces using mines, rockets and other weapons.Answering a question, Maj-Gen Abbas said the terrorists posed no threat to the federal capital. “Distance is not the only component to measure the level of threat. Counter-capacity has to be kept in mind.”
He termed the statements expressing concern over a threat of Taliban marching on Islamabad as alarmist and said the security forces were fully capable of eliminating the terrorists.
He said there was no evidence about any foreign link of Sufi Mohammad, but heavy weapons, communication equipment and finances were reaching him.
He said security personnel were moving from various positions, adding that combat helicopters were facilitating their movement.
He declined to divulge the number of personnel taking part in the operation, saying that operational details might benefit the other side.
Maj-Gen Abbas confirmed reports about the spread of Talibanisation in southern Punjab and said the situation was being closely monitored.
He said the nuclear weapons of the country were in safe hands and there was no possibility of extremists laying their hands on them.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called on President Asif Ali Zardari. It is believed that they discussed the operation in Buner, situation in Swat and adjoining areas and other issues concerning national security. According to sources, the forthcoming US visit of President Zardari also came under discussion.
TNSM not ready to resume talks in Sufi’s absence
Talking to Dawn at the TNSM’s Amandara office in Batkhela on Tuesday, he said: “We don’t know where and how he (Sufi Mohammad) is. Before leaving his home in Maidan on Sunday he told me that he was going to the party office but he did not reach here.”
Sources said that Sufi Mohammad was still in Maidan (Lower Dir) and he had rejected a government offer to move him to his party’s headquarters by helicopter. They said the TNSM chief had told the authorities that he would proceed to Amandara if the government stopped military operation in Lower Dir.
Earlier, addressing a press conference at the TNSM head office, Maulana Alam accused the government of violating the peace deal by launching a fresh military operation in Maidan. “We ask the government to stop the military operation immediately,” he said.
He said the Taliban had neither violated the peace deal nor damaged any public property. “The present situation is the result of the delay in appointment of Qazis and establishment of Darul Qaza,” Alam said.
He said: “The government has already lost its control over 80 per cent of Swat and if the deal is not honoured the government may lose its control over the entire Malakand division.”
He said the Taliban had taken against their own colleagues who had misused their power and punished local people for their personal interest. Any person with a complaint against the Taliban could approach the Qazi courts and he would certainly get justice, he added.
Hameedullah Khan adds from Mingora: A police constable was killed and another was wounded when gunmen attacked a post in Bahreen on Monday night.
Sources said that three constables and a Naib Nazim of the union council were kidnapped.
The sources said police had vacated the post because of prevailing security situation in the area.
Pakistanis abroad call for decisive action
The letter, addressed to the president, the prime minister, the chief justice and the chief of army staff, was delivered to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on Tuesday.
The signatories included scores of famous authors, professors, economists, World Bank officials, journalists and entrepreneurs; the cream of the Pakistani diaspora, particularly in the US.
“With a stroke of pen, the president and the parliament have signed away any real prospects of a stable, tolerant and progressive Pakistan,” said the letter.
“We the citizens of Pakistan are angry and dismayed at the abject capitulation of the state of Pakistan before the Taliban insurgents in Swat. With one stroke of the pen, you and the Parliament have signed away any real prospects of a stable, tolerant and progressive Pakistan as envisioned by its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” the letter said.
“Leaving aside the merits or demerits of the so-called Nizam-i- Adal Regulation, we believe that any agreement signed at the point of a gun and under threats from violent extremists can never lead to a lasting and just peace.”
Claiming that the government was naïve in expecting that the deal would lead to peace in Swat, the letter noted that after the regulation had been signed, the Taliban stated that they did not intend to lay down their arms, called into question the legitimacy of the parliament and Supreme Court, and declared the intent to impose their own brand of violent and brutal Sharia law not only in the rest of Pakistan but across the world.
“This is proof positive that the real aim of the Taliban is to seize power through brutal force and intimidation,” the signatories said.
“We realise that the dark clouds of obscurantism hanging over our country are the direct result of a mindset within the civil and military establishment, which has for decades fostered and pandered to religious zealots and regressive forces in the country.
“It is incumbent upon the government of Pakistan to enforce the writ of the state in Swat and other troubled regions of Pakistan.
“We urge the Supreme Court of Pakistan to exercise the full extent of its authority to safeguard fundamental rights of all citizens, particularly those under direct threat in Malakand Agency and Fata.”
The letter urged the government to mobilise the nation against the scourge of the Taliban before it was too late.
“History and the people of this country will never forgive you if a constitutionally elected government fails to show leadership at this critical juncture.”
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Tuesday, 28 Apr, 2009
Sufi Mohammad ‘missing’ since Saturday!
Sufi Mohammad was last seen leaving for his home in Lal Qila area from his base camp in Maidan on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday morning, according to his spokesman Ameer Izzat, the cleric started for his base camp along with his son Ziaullah, just when the paramilitary forces moved in to attack militants’ hideout in Lal Qila.
“The last time we had contact with Sufi Sahib was when he said he was on his way to Maidan. He said that he wanted to return home but he was not allowed to proceed by security people because of the fighting there,” Ameer Izzat said.
“There has been no communication since then and we don’t know where he is. Everybody is looking for him. We are looking for him. The government is looking for him. We are concerned. We want him to come back and resume talks to resolve the pending issues.”
Ironically, the NWFP government faces the same predicament. It desperately needs to start talks and announce the remaining steps for the implementation of the recently-announced regulation but it does not know where to find the TNSM chief.
In fact, a two-member team of the NWFP government comprising Senator Afrasiab Khattak and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain flew into Upper Dir on Monday. But Sufi was nowhere to be seen.
Anxious to resolve the remaining issues, the government is believed to have reached out to all those who could locate Sufi Mohammed. One significant announcement would be the setting up of Darul Qaza in Malakand.
This would be a major stride in the full implementation of the regulation but before it does so, the government would like to consult the unpredictable TNSM leader.
The TNSM wants the operation to be halted and one reason for the demand is to help find their leader, who is known for his disappearing antics.
In 1994, when the TNSM had launched an armed rebellion against the state for enforcement of Sharia in Malakand, Sufi was literally pulled out from the mountains by a helicopter to negotiate a settlement.
Sufi had agreed and went along with government officials to disarm his supporters and dislodge them from the mountains.
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Monday, 27 Apr, 2009
Taliban still occupying parts of Buner: FC
PESHAWAR: Taliban militants have refused to leave Buner completely and are coercing the local population to support them.
The Frontier Corps (FC) Commandant says the Taliban occupy at least 10 to 15 per cent of Buner.
Citing intelligence reports, senior security officials have said the Taliban coerced local tribal elders in Buner to announce support for the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Security officials told DawnNews that even though not displaying weapons, militants were present during a meeting of the local council of elders on Sunday to announce conditional support for the TTP.
Earlier, the District Police Officer of Buner also said a number of foreign and local Taliban militants were still present in the area despite claims by the local militant leadership that they were withdrawing from Buner.
Officials say the Taliban had moved into Buner from Swat, and they continue to take violent action against the people in at least two villages who had initially formed an armed lashkar to resist their advances.
Taliban asked to lay down arms
Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik said 30 militants and some security personnel had been killed in the operation.
“The operation has nothing to do with Swat. It is being launched in Dir area against increasing militancy there,” Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said.
He said the government would adhere to the agreement which did not allow an operation in Swat.
However, he hinted that if militants did not lay down arms after the enforcement of ‘Sharia laws’ in Swat, the security operation could be extended to other areas, including the valley.
On the other hand, the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s spokesman Muslim Khan said Taliban would not lay down weapons unless all Americans in Pakistan returned to their country and Darul Qaza was established in Swat. He said the Darul Qaza could order the Taliban to disarm.
In reply to a question, the interior secretary said: “They (Taliban) have left Buner.”
However, there were reports that while returning to Swat, Taliban had taken some young men from Buner along with them for militant training.
Interior Adviser Rehman Malik appealed to parents to keep their children away from suspicious people in Swat, Buner and other districts where Taliban were present.
He warned Taliban that the government would flush them out if they did not lay down weapons.
He urged the Taliban to disarm and not to challenge the writ of the government.
“A few Taliban can’t challenge the writ of the government and the government will maintain its writ at all costs.
“Anti-state elements are using Taliban. I advise them to lay down their arms and come forward to play their role in the progress and development of Pakistan. They have a golden chance to join the mainstream and work for the welfare of Pakistan,” he said.
In reply to a question, Mr Malik said the fate of the accord depended on restoration of peace. “A ‘peace accord’ has no importance if peace does not prevail,” he said.
He said the operation had been launched at the request of the NWFP government in areas adjoining Swat.
“There are three to four places where Taliban were showing themselves and challenging the government’s writ. Several Taliban have been killed and one FC man embraced Shahadat during the operation,” he said.
The adviser said it was the government’s prime responsibility to protect the lives and property of people in Swat, Dir and other parts of the country.
He warned the Taliban to stop publishing and distributing pamphlets, adding that the government was investigating those involved in publishing pamphlets. “Taliban will not be allowed to impose their agenda on people by force.”
Accusing the Taliban of being involved in the blast which killed children in Lower Dir, he said: “They have exposed their intention and real face by taking lives of innocent children through a toy bomb blast.”
He said the provincial government had been asked by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to investigate the incident.
“It is being investigated whether the children and their family members were killed after refusing to become suicide bombers. Taliban have forced the government to take strict action against them,” he said in a statement.
President Zardari’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar also said the operation in Dir would not affect the Swat peace deal between Sufi Mohammad and the Frontier government.
According to the ISPR, the operation was launched by the Frontier Corps early on Sunday morning against suspected militant hideouts in Islampura and Lal Qila areas of Lower Dir.
Govt urged not to deploy troops in Buner
Addressing a big public meeting in Swari, leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party, Awami National Party, Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi, Tablighi Jamaat and Ishaat Tauheed-Wal Sunnah proposed that a joint council comprising representatives of the political and religious parties, Taliban and the administration be formed to resolve all disputes.
They called upon the provincial government to implement the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by appointing Qazis and setting up Darul Qaza.
The meeting dubbed ‘a peace gathering’ was held in the college ground and was addressed by Mian Syed Laiq and Shams Buneri of the ANP, Rafiqullah Khan of PPP, Sardar Ali Khan of PML-Q, Sher Akbar Khan of PPP (Sherpao), Bahadur Shah of JUI-F, Azizullah, Fazali Wahab of Ishaat and Mishbahudeen Malikpuri.
Tablighi Jamaat’s district Amir Ghulam Mohammad Jamadar presided over the meeting while Maulana Taji Rehman of the Ishaat was the moderator.
The meeting was organised in accordance with a decision taken on Thursday by a jirga attended by leaders of the Taliban, local representatives of the parties and government officials.
“If the provincial government faces any pressure from the central government, the MQM and the United States they should resign. We assure them of their re-election with a thumping majority with the support of Taliban,” said Misbahuddin Malikpuri of the Ishaat youth wing.
The Taliban leaders did not address the meeting but a sizeable number of their unarmed members were present.
The objective of the meeting was to convey to the government that Buner was a peaceful district and there was no need of army’s deployment.
It was also aimed at assuring the people that they faced no threat from the Taliban and that peace would be maintained.
A resolution adopted at the meeting said that army deployment in the district would not be accepted and the government should respect the opinion of all political parities.
It was resolved that the local Taliban would avoid displaying weapons and would remain peaceful.
The rally also called upon the Taliban to return the vehicles they had seized from different NGOs and officials after taking over the district.The meeting asked the government to release six Taliban arrested in Buner in accordance with the commitment made on Friday.
Maulana Taji Rehman urged the locals not to be scared of the Taliban and they should join their ‘noble mission’ for benefits in this life and in the life after death.
Maulana Fazal-i-Mabood termed the enactment of NAR a good omen and urged the government to implement it in letter and spirit.
Sardar Ali Khan assured support of his party in efforts to maintain peace in the region and demanded that the government should implement the NAR immediately.
Mian Syed Laiq Bacha of the Qaumi Council said the ANP-led government had faced extreme pressure from within and outside the country when Maulana Sufi Mohammad was released after long incarceration and the NAR was announced in Malakand division.
Maulana Fazal Wahab said that the US wanted peace in its country at the cost of destabilising the rest of the world.
Maulana Azizullah said that the voice of local people and the struggle of Taliban had resulted in the announcement of NAR and now all of them had to play their role to present a good example.
Maulana Misbahudeen Malikpuri assured that reconciliation efforts would continue to remove differences between the Taliban and local people.
He said that within a week the issue of the villages of Shalbandi and Sultanwas would be resolved.
The Taliban had earlier announced general amnesty in Buner except for the people of two villages which had raised lashkar.
Ghulam Mohammad Jamadar urged local people not to be scared of the NAR as Islam provided protection to all segments of the society.
Fazlullah, jirga agree to continue peace talks
MINGORA: Swat Taliban chief Fazlullah and members of a peace jirga agreed on Sunday to go ahead with peace talks, despite what has been described here as ‘provocations’ like deployment of security forces and militants advancement into areas outside Swat.
According to reports reaching here, militants have set up checkpoints after taking control of the main road between Bahrain and Kalam.
Officials said that during a routine search of vehicles, troops found a vehicle at the Bandai check-post loaded with weapons.
The 40-member peace jirga held talks with Fazlullah in Matta tehsil and conveyed government’s new conditions, an official said.
Members of the jirga said the meeting was fruitful and various proposals had been discussed for restoring peace. Release of prisoners, general amnesty for militants, ban on display of weapons, withdrawal of Taliban from Buner district and implementation of the peace deal were also discussed.
The head of the peace jirga, Inamur Rehman, said that Fazlullah had assured him that the Taliban would respect the peace deal but the government should fulfil its commitments by promulgating Sharia laws in Malakand and set up Darul Qaza.
Fazlullah said he would soon convene a meeting to discuss new proposals. The Swat agreement, he said, did not allow the government to deploy troops in the district.
‘Like other Pakistanis, we also do not want to fight against our army,’ Fazlullah was quoted as saying. He urged the government to withdraw troops from Swat, rehabilitate displaced people and release prisoners.
Inamur Rehman said that the jirga would meet government and military officials to discuss proposals for maintaining peace and implementation of Sharia.TNSM chief breaking pledges, says Imran Khan
LAHORE: Chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Imran Khan criticised on Sunday Sufi Mohammad, chief of the Tehrik-i-Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi, for terming the country’s Constitution and the judicial system un-Islamic.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the party’s foundation day, Khan said: ‘Sufi Mohammad is not just violating the Swat accord; he is going against the Holy Quran by breaking promises.’ The ceremony, which was held under tight security, had separate seating arrangements for women activists.
Khan said his party believed in the Constitution and wanted its supremacy at all costs, and if the TNSM chief did not mend his ways, the PTI would not support him.
Blaming former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf for the situation in Balochistan, he said the country would not have had to spend billions of rupees on security if Musharraf had accepted demands of the Baloch, instead of launching a military operation.
‘Pakistans enemies, who benefited from wrong policies of the Musharraf regime, started a campaign to portray Pakistan as a failed state and hatched conspiracies for launching a separatist movement in Balochistan.’
Referring to the situation in the tribal areas, the PTI chief said that various Wazir tribes had offered to hand over to Musharraf the people who were proved to be involved in terrorism anywhere in the world, provided concrete proof was given against them.
But the dictator resorted to the use of excessive force against innocent tribesmen, sparking an equally fierce response.
Criticising US air strikes in Waziristan, he said that there had been 70 drone attacks in which 700 innocent tribesmen had lost their lives. Only 14 Al Qaeda men had been killed in these attacks inside Pakistani territory, he added.
Khan assailed MQM leader Altaf Husain for opposing the Swat peace accord and said it was surprising that Husain did not say anything about the inhuman treatment meted out to Dr Aafia Siddiqui by US officials, but made an issue out of a ‘fake video of the flogging of a girl in Swat’.
The PTI chairman alleged that Husain was the ‘biggest terrorist’ who had never been imprisoned because he was subservient to the US and the UK.
He declared that he would defy Section 144 and launch his party’s membership drive in Karachi on May 3.===================
Sunday, 26 Apr, 2009
Thousands rally for peace in Buner
The rally in Buner came amid growing doubt that a peace pact with the Taliban in the neighboring Swat Valley would hold, and pressure from the US on Pakistan to confront the militants.
Pakistan struck the deal in February, giving in to militants’ demands for imposing Islamic law in Swat, a one-time tourist haven, and surrounding districts that make up the Malakand Division. Some two years of clashes between Pakistani troops and Taliban in Swat had killed hundreds.
In recent days, the Swat Taliban moved into Buner, 100 kilometers from Islamabad. They began pulling out Friday amid talk that the army was preparing for action. But Buner’s police chief estimated at least 100 Taliban remained, and said local sympathizers had been emboldened as well.
Meanwhile, AP quoted army spokesmen as saying that the Pakistani army had launched a new offensive against militants in Lower Dir on Sunday.
DawnNews quoted sources as saying that helicopter gunships bombarded suspected hideouts in the Dokari area, killing commander Moulvi Shahid and five other militants.
Meanwhile, an attack on a convoy of security forces has killed one soldier and injured five others in Aqakhel Darra Maidan area of Lower Dir, as the operation continues.
Calling for an end to violence
Sunday’s rally attracted political and religious figures as well as other prominent citizens. Attendees interviewed said they wanted peace — and that included keeping the army out of Buner.
‘We don’t want the government to send the army here because the troops coming in will create a Swat-like situation,’ said Misbah Uddin, a leader of a local religious group. ‘We people of Buner are capable of solving our problems on our own.’
Shams Buneri, a local leader of Pakistan’s ruling party, said the Taliban should also remain peaceful.
‘We appeal to the Taliban to abide by the peace agreement and not display arms or go for armed patrolling, because this will be a cause of breach of peace,’ he said.
US officials and many Pakistani critics view the Swat pact as a capitulation before extremists, and are also worried that Swat could turn into an expanding haven for al-Qaida allies.
The deal’s supporters argue that the concession on Islamic law robs hard-liners of any justification for continuing to bear arms.
Taliban stop troop deployment
Sources said militants, who had taken positions along the G.T. Road, stopped the convoy near Qamber, a Taliban stronghold, saying the movement of troops towards Swat was a violation of the peace accord.
Malakand Commissioner Mohammad Javed confirmed the report and said the convoy had returned.
The sources, however, said the military authorities had taken strong note of the action and warned that security forces would take stern action if the way of troops was blocked or arms were displayed along the roads in future.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said sending more troops to Swat was a violation of the peace accord and the Taliban would resist such attempts.
He said the peace accord was made on three main conditions — enforcement of Shariat-i-Mohammadi, release of prisoners and pullout of security forces from the Malakand division.
Taliban commander Mehmood Khan said according to the accord no fresh forces would be sent to Swat and military vehicles carrying ration would be permitted conditionally.
In Bahrain, Taliban militants occupied the residence of PML-N leader Saranjam Khan and turned it into their base camp.
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Saturday, 25 Apr, 2009
•Victory will be achieved at all costs •Swat peace was an operational pause: Kayani vows to come down hard on militants
Speaking at a meeting of top military commanders, including those directly dealing with militancy in Fata and the North-West Frontier Province, at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army chief acknowledged that doubts were being voiced about the intent and capability of the army to defeat the militants.
But, he added, the army “never has and never will hesitate to sacrifice, whatever it may take, to ensure safety and well-being of the people and country’s territorial integrity”.
This is by far the most direct statement yet by Gen Kayani, or any other military or civilian official, about the prevailing situation and the manner in which it needs to be tackled.
The statement came in the wake of reports from Swat’s adjoining district Buner, and later Shangla, of the Taliban march into the area, with clear signs the armed Islamists were trying to spread tentacles under the cover of a peace deal.
The army chief’s remarks coincide with reports emanating from the outskirts of Malakand division about movement of the Frontier Corps troops and even military battalions, leaving little doubt that the army is determined to launch yet another major operation, either to eliminate the militants or to at least push them out of Buner and districts other than Swat.
However, sources said, a military operation would be launched only after a clearance by the provincial and federal governments.
In his statement, the army chief was quite clear about ground realities. He condemned ‘pronouncements’ by outside powers that raised doubts about the future of Pakistan and declared that the militants would not be allowed to “dictate terms to the government or impose their way of life on the civil society of Pakistan”.
“A country of 170 million resilient people under a democratic dispensation, strongly supported by the army, is capable of handling any crisis that it may confront,” an ISPR press release quoted him as saying.
He reassured the people that with their support the army was determined to root out the menace of terrorism.
He described the recent peace deal with Maulana Fazlullah’s Swat-based militants as an “operational pause” that was meant to give the “reconciliatory forces” a chance, but declared that it “must not be taken for a concession to militants”.
Observers here see the statement by the army chief as a clear message to militants to either lay down arms or be ready for another round of battle with the army, which this time probably would be more vigorous.
The statement came at a time when the Swat Taliban have made advances to areas adjoining Swat, dashing hopes that the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl would lead to restoration of peace.
Some sources in the security establishment say the army is insisting that since the militants have gone back on their pledge and have even tried to misuse the concessions given to them, nothing short of a public surrender can guarantee a lasting peace in Malakand division.
A similar message has been sent to the Buner Taliban through the Sufi Mohammed-led Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi.
Concerns were expressed at international level over the Swat peace deal and a possible advance of Taliban to the federal capital. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and federal ministers have indicated in recent days that the Swat peace deal will be reversed and other options will be exercised if the accord did not yield positive results and the wave Talibanisation continued.
The COAS praised the army men for continuing to fight under challenging conditions, assuring that safety of the people and the country would be ensured at all costs.
Taliban pulling out of Buner
BUNER, April 24: Taliban militants from Swat started pulling out of Buner following negotiations with a delegation led by TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad on Friday.Taliban leaders, however, made it clear that the militants from Buner would stay in the district as they could not be asked to leave their native areas.
“Most of our companions from outside have left Buner and the remaining ones would follow suit,” Taliban leader Ustad Yasir Khan told Dawn.
He said that as he had been assigned responsibility for Pir Baba mosque and adjoining areas, he had to return as the people of Buner had been pressing him to continue in that post.
He said that the residents of Buner had been requesting them to stay back, but wondered why the government was asking them to leave the area.
The district was seized by the Taliban from Swat on April 4 after a foray through the Gokand Pass.
They seized key towns on April 11 as law enforcement personnel did not offer any resistance.
Maulana Sufi Mohammad visited Madressah Taleemul Quran in Daggar and held negotiations with Taliban leaders.
The Maulana was accompanied by TNSM spokesman Amir Ezzat Khan, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan, commanders Mehmood Khan and Mufti Aftab.
The meeting was attended by prominent religious figures Maulana Waliullah Kabal Grami, Malakand commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed, Buner TNSM leaders Maulana Salar, Maulana Dawanoor, Pervez Khan and Ishaat Wal Tauheed, Maulana Mesbahuddin, Minhajuddin and Haji Rehman.
It was agreed in the meeting that the local Taliban would avoid display of weapons.
“I am acting as guarantor of peace in Malakand region. The militants from other districts should leave the area as it is a threat to peace,” Sufi Mohammad said.The Taliban boarded their vehicles and left for Swat through the Karakar Pass.
Buner Taliban remained inside their camps, including a villa of an influential figure which they had seized in Sultanwas.
TNSM spokesman Amir Ezzat Khan and Commander Mufti Aftab alleged that the media was exaggerating the whole issue, paving the way for a military operation.
They said the Taliban did not want to create problems for the people and their purpose of visiting Buner was preaching.
“We do not want devastation of Buner by security forces”.
Ezzat Khan said the issue of Sultanwas village would be resolved in two days while that of Shalbandi village would be taken up later.
The Taliban had earlier refused to forgive inhabitants of the two villages, especially some influential figures, as they had raised lashkar against them.
The fresh developments attracted locals and thousands of them visited village Sultanwas and Madrassa Taleem ul Quran in Daggar.
The AFP reported that more than 100 paramilitary troops manned police stations in Buner on Friday. Two platoons comprising 113 men were sent to the rugged region on Thursday and Friday.
“The provincial government has sent two Frontier Constabulary (FC) platoons to Buner, which have been posted in different police stations to check any attack by militants,” police official Rasheed Khan said.
Mr Khan said local forces did not have the manpower to climb mountains and other areas infested with militants.
“We have been assured that eight platoons will be sent to Buner, of which two have already reached,” he said.Another police official, Arsalan Khan, said two platoons had arrived and had been deployed in police stations.
Hameedullah Khan adds from Mingora: Taliban spokesperson Muslim Khan said the pulling out of Taliban from Buner was not the outcome of any agreement as they had left Buner of their own accord.
“Pakistan is our country and we can visit any area including Buner. We stand by the peace agreement, but certain elements have raised unnecessary hue and cry that we came here to occupy Buner. This is wrong,” he said.
Malakand commissioner Syed Mohammad Jawed told Dawn that the government was serious in implementing the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation and Darul Qaza would be set up in the division soon.
Gilani warns of tough riposte
ISLAMABAD, April 24: In fresh government moves to counter terrorism, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani unveiled urgent national consultative plans in the National Assembly on Friday and warned militants their designs against Pakistan could materialise “over our dead bodies”.Amid deep concerns at home and abroad over Taliban advances in a part of the North West Frontier Province this week, he sounded agreeable to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s proposal for a national conference, suggested formulation of a new security policy and said the government could review its policy if the militants violated their peace deal with the provincial government.
The prime minister’s strongly worded response in a brief speech to the lower house, which prolonged its session for a further debate on the national situation, was followed by a stern warning to the militants also from army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani against misusing a military operations pause allowed to let the peal deal work.
Mr Gilani said the nation must remain reassured that the government and the military would not allow any force to harm Pakistan and that the country’s defence and nuclear assets were in “safe hands”.
“We can defend the country and, God-willing, will do it,” he said and added: “If some element casts an evil eye on Pakistan, then it will be on our dead bodies.”
The prime minister’s speech came at the end of several days of a debate on President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to a March 28 joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate, which was wound up by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan, who clarified that the system to be set up in Malakand under the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009 would remain subordinate to the Supreme Court and judicial officers to function as “Qazis” there would be appointed by the provincial government – “there will be no private Qazis”.
Mr Gilani said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had talked to him overnight over telephone and also faxed a letter suggesting a national conference of all stakeholders to consider the present threat from terrorism and extremism and that PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had also called him proposing a meeting with him with a delegation.
He did not disclose details of the PML-N leader’s proposal, but seemed agreeable to it by saying the government wanted to take all stakeholders into confidence and remove reservations like those of its ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement about the Swat peace deal.
While announcing that the present National Assembly session, which began on April 9, would continue rather than be prorogued on Friday after the debate on the presidential address, the prime minister proposed that the house debate the recent report of a joint parliamentary committee on national security to help formulate a new national policy to counter terrorism.
He said he would take that policy for approval to a cabinet meeting to be attended also by provincial chief ministers and added that he wanted President Zardari to carry that policy with him when he visits the United States early next month.
The prime minister said his government had agreed to the Swat peace deal and the Sharia regulation in deference to the wishes of the Awami National Party-led NWFP provincial coalition government but added that “we can review the policy” if the militants did not honour the peace agreement.
“We are an elected government, not puppets,” he said and added: “If they will challenge (the government authority), we will react.”
Calling the country’s armed forces “extremely professional” and “the best in the world”, he said they were under civilian control and would assist the elected federal and provincial governments when asked for it.
Mr Awan, in a lucid speech earlier, repudiated Tehrik-i-Nifaz Shariat-i-Mohammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Muhammad’s claim – without naming him – that Pakistan’s superior courts and political system were un-Islamic by citing the Islamic provisions of the constitution under which the courts and parliament function and naming several noted religious scholars who had signed the constitution at the time of its adoption by the National Assembly in 1973.
“Whoever is a traitor to this constitution is a traitor to the state of Pakistan,” he said and, in reference to the TNSM chief’s outbursts and objectionable activities of the Taliban militants, pointed out that the constitution protected personal laws of all Islamic sects as well as of non-Muslim minorities.
The minister, speaking for the PPP-led coalition government, called upon all political forces in the country to rise above their parties and avoid engaging in a blame game to meet the present challenges and predicted that the leaderships of the PPP and PML-N, despite their recent political confrontation over the Punjab affairs, would be “seen sitting together in the coming days”.
In trying to dispel fears about investment in Pakistan, he said Pakistani investors had realised in the post 9/11 situation that their own country was the safest place for their capital.
He said the present government, despite “a lot of turbulence” during the 14 months of its existence, had $12 billion foreign exchange reserves and over $20 billion investment pledges.
The minister said the government had moved fast in response to the president’s call for implementing the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and PML-N leaders in 2006 by having a resolution passed by the present session to authorise Speaker Fehmida Mirza to set up a parliament committee for propose the necessary constitutional amendments and added that this roadmap would be implemented before the next presidential address to parliament.
Before him, several members from both the opposition and ruling coalition voiced concern about the Taliban activities, with PML-N’s Ayaz Amir wondering what could happen if the militants got control of the Karakoram Highway after their recent advance from Swat to Buner district.
His party colleague Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a sentimental speech, said the killings of Pakistani soldiers, police and civilians by the militants had made it “our war” although he cited failure of the present system to provide quick justice as a factor that strengthened the Taliban ranks.
The house was adjourned until 4pm on Monday after passing the government-moved motion of thanks to the president for his March 28 address.
US created Taliban and abandoned Pakistan, says Hillary
In an appearance before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, Mrs Clinton explained how the militancy in Pakistan was linked to the US-backed proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
“We can point fingers at the Pakistanis. I did some yesterday frankly. And it’s merited because we are wondering why they just don’t go out there and deal with these people,” said Mrs Clinton while referring to an earlier hearing in which she said that Pakistan posed a “mortal threat” to the world.
“But the problems we face now to some extent we have to take responsibility for, having contributed to it. We also have a history of kind of moving in and out of Pakistan,” she said.
“Let’s remember here… the people we are fighting today we funded them twenty years ago… and we did it because we were locked in a struggle with the Soviet Union.
“They invaded Afghanistan… and we did not want to see them control Central Asia and we went to work… and it was President Reagan in partnership with Congress led by Democrats who said you know what it sounds like a pretty good idea… let’s deal with the ISI and the Pakistan military and let’s go recruit these mujahideen.
“And great, let them come from Saudi Arabia and other countries, importing their Wahabi brand of Islam so that we can go beat the Soviet Union.
“And guess what … they (Soviets) retreated … they lost billions of dollars and it led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“So there is a very strong argument which is… it wasn’t a bad investment in terms of Soviet Union but let’s be careful with what we sow… because we will harvest.
“So we then left Pakistan … We said okay fine you deal with the Stingers that we left all over your country… you deal with the mines that are along the border and… by the way we don’t want to have anything to do with you… in fact we’re sanctioning you… So we stopped dealing with the Pakistani military and with ISI and we now are making up for a lot of lost time.”
It was question from Congressman Adam Shciff, a California Democrat that spurred Secretary Clinton to delve into history and come out with an answer that other US politicians have avoided in the past.
The congressman noted that while the US had provided “a phenomenal amount of military support for Pakistan,” they had not changed the paradigm.
“And more pernicious, there are elements within the Pakistani intelligence services, the ISI that may be working at cross-purposes with us.
“How we can possibly be funding the Pakistani military if elements of the military or intelligence services are actually working against us and having the effect of killing our troops next door?” he asked.
Govt confused on Swat issue: Wasim Sajjad
ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in Senate Wasim Sajjad proposed on Friday that an all parties’ conference be convened to steer the country out of the crisis it was facing in the wake of growing militancy in tribal areas and Balochistan.
Taking part in a debate on the presidential address to a joint session of parliament, he said the government must ensure supremacy of the Constitution and parliament and the writ of the state in Swat, Buner, Shangla and tribal areas at all costs.
‘Where is the Constitution? The government is totally confused on the issue of Swat and other restive areas,’ he said, adding that constitutional amendments should be made in consultation with all political parties and not merely to implement the Charter of Democracy which was an agreement between two parties.
The charter, he said, had many good points but there were certain provisions in it which would be disastrous for the country.
He said the proposal to set up a constitutional court must be dropped. ‘The constitutional court will erode the authority of the Supreme Court and damage the judicial system. It will result in a conflict between the Supreme Court and the constitutional court which is not in the country’s interest. We need to strengthen the Supreme Court and high courts,’ he added.
Mr Sajjad said the industry should be encouraged to meet the economic crisis. ‘Interest rates should be cut further and imports by local manufacturers be made duty-free or at least duty reduced. The industry should be exempted from loadshedding and agro-based industry be given incentives.’
He said that negative aspects of the new US strategy for the region should be taken up with the Obama administration and Pakistan should project its own point of view in the larger national interest.
Mr Sajjad urged the Americans to immediately stop drone attacks because it was not in the interest of either the US or Pakistan. ‘We should ask the US and European states to make clear commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan.’
He said that the US and European counties should enhance the capacity of the Pakistan army to deal with the situation and the mandate of US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke be extended to include the Kashmir dispute.
He called for resolving all bilateral issues with India through peaceful means, but said Pakistan should not show undue eagerness to resume the composite dialogue. ‘We should take advantage of the fact that the world can no longer ignore the situation on the Pakistan-Afghan border, which is also linked to the Kashmir dispute,’ he added.
The house unanimously approved a resolution authorising the Senate chairman to fill vacant seats of chairmen of house standing and functional committees. The resolution was moved by Leader of the House Nayyar Bokhari.Couple shot dead on jirga’s order
The jirga was held on the intervention of the political administration to review its order of killing Alia Bibi and Azeemul Haq, but it upheld its decision and they were shot dead.
Political Tehsildar Jamshed Khan told Dawn: “I regret the killing, but what can I do. There is no other law except the jirga system in the area.”
He said that the bodies were handed over to the relatives, who buried them.
The victims had been arrested by Alpuri police in Shangla on Feb 26, but they were kidnapped and taken to Kala Dhaka after their release on bail. They were required to be presented in a court in Alpuri on May 5.
The tehsildar said the Constitution and law had permitted jirga system in the area to decide local affairs for the past 60 years.
District coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Raza Khan, alleged that the administration was equally responsible for the killing.
He said two minor sisters from Karachi who had been declared vani had recently been recovered from the area after a suo motu notice by the Supreme Court. “Why this couple could not be saved whose case is still pending in a civil court in Shangla.”
Reports of Taliban advance cause concern in US
At one stage on Thursday, the Americans seemed so upset that they even hinted at withdrawing their offer to invite Pakistan to a trilateral summit at the White House, a diplomatic source told Dawn.
“The hint was later dropped and Pakistan was assured that the summit would go ahead as planned” on May 6-7, the source said.
The panic began early Thursday when Washington woke up to the news that the Taliban had taken over Buner and were now only 81 km from Islamabad.
Richard Holbrooke, America’s special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, told reporters that the Obama administration was recalibrating the schedule drawn up for the White House summit among Mr Obama and the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The trilateral summit, Mr Holbrooke said, “was conceived in an atmosphere that has now changed significantly, and the focus is increasingly on Pakistan”.
Another administration official acknowledged some concern over President Asif Zardari’s planned week-long absence from home for his visit here, given Pakistan’s history of military coups and government overthrows while the head of state was outside the country.
“We inquired twice” whether Mr Zardari was concerned about leaving Pakistan, the official told The Washington Post. “Both times we were told no.” Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and the army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, would remain in Pakistan during Mr Zardari’s trip, the official said.
Besides bringing behind-the-scene pressures, the Obama administration also warned the Pakistani government publicly “that failure to take action against the extremists could endanger its partnership with the United States.”
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told a briefing that the news from Pakistan over the past several days was “very disturbing” and the US administration was extremely concerned.
The situation in Pakistan was taking “a lot of President Obama’s time”, Mr Gibbs said.
Also on Thursday, President Obama held a White House meeting on the subject with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador Holbrooke. He also brought it up in a separate session with congressional leaders.
After the consultations, Ambassador Holbrooke spoke by telephone to President Asif Ali Zardari and with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
“There have been contacts at other levels as well”, said a diplomatic source but pointed out that Chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen’s visit to Islamabad on Thursday was not linked to the situation in Swat or Buner.
“It was another defence related matter not linked to Swat,” the source said.
Contacts between the two countries continued on Friday as well, with the Americans insisting that they were frustrated with the overall situation, and not just Buner and Swat.
“Making you take action against the Taliban is like pulling your teeth,” a US diplomat told a senior Pakistani official. “It seems that while you say the Taliban are your enemy, you do not really consider them an enemy.”
The Americans insisted that they see a pattern in Pakistan’s reluctance. “There’s no real desire to defeat the Taliban. You see them as a problem but not as a threat to your country.”
At the State Department, spokesman Robert Wood indicated that the Americans had been trying to persuade Islamabad to take military action against the militants.
“Was there anything that this administration tried to do over the last 24 hours that made them see the light?” Mr Wood was asked.
“We have regular conversations at various levels, and I’m sure some conversations have taken place over the last day or so,” the spokesman said.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned that Pakistan’s relationship with the US depended on decisive action by its leadership to deal with the nation’s current security crisis.
The stability and longevity of Pakistan’s democratically elected government was central to Washington’s “future partnership with the government in Islamabad”, he said.
The US media reported that the Americans were so worried at Pakistan’s deterioration that they were considering switching allegiances from President Zardari and his Pakistan People’s Party-dominated government to his rival, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
==================
Friday, 24 Apr, 2009
Taliban ambush FC convoy, foil Buner deployment
In Daggar, the district headquarters, a jirga of Taliban and local elders opposed any move by the government to send in troops.
The Frontier Constabulary personnel returned to Totalai town bordering Swabi district after the ambush.
Head constable Gul Saeed and constable Mohammad Yahya were killed when the vehicle of Totalai police piloting coaches taking FC personnel towards upper Buner came under rocket attack and indiscriminate fire by Taliban near Sawawi. A sub-inspector was injured and the police patrol vehicle sped towards Chinglai after the attack.
Taliban occupied police checkpoints at Durmai Pass and Chinglai, but withdrew after intervention of a leader and locked the posts.
They announced that they would carry out attacks if the government tried to send military or paramilitary forces to the area.
According to sources, the Taliban kidnapped a moharar of Chinglai post, Tajbar Khan, and a villager, Amani Room, who had given shelter to him. A Taliban ‘commander’ set them free on the request of local people.
A large number of armed Taliban moved towards Khudukhel after the ambush and security personnel were confined to the Totalai police station.
JIRGA: A jirga held at Madressah Tarjumanul Quran claimed that local people supported Taliban’s efforts for peaceful enforcement of Sharia.
The Taliban agreed to stop display of heavy weapons and ‘undue checking’ on roads.
A Taliban leader announced that militants would stay in the district, but would not brandish arms unnecessarily to avoid harassment of locals, stop snatching vehicles and other material from government and semi-government offices and allow NGOs to work.
On a request by local notables for an ‘amnesty’ for people of Shalbandi and Khwajawas villages who had raised a lashkar to fight the Taliban, the militant leaders said they would be pardoned only after they agreed to face disciplinary proceedings.
It was agreed that a coordination committee would be formed with one representative each from political parties, religious organisations, Taliban and the district coordination officer to reconcile any misunderstanding among them.
The jirga decided to hold a public meeting in Swari on Sunday to remove the locals’ misgivings and urge those who had left their homes to return. Taliban leaders will also attend the peace gathering.
On behalf of the people of the district, Nasir Laiq Bacha of the Awami National Party thanked Taliban for maintaining peace. He said the Taliban were sons of the soil whose prime objective was supremacy of Islam.
Mr Bacha said deployment of troops in the district would be opposed because it would bring destruction.
The jirga was attended by Taliban leader Mufti Bashir and Yasir Khan, Buner DCO Javed Ahmad Khan, Maulana Tajur Rehman and Minhajudeen of the Ishaat Al Sunnah wal-Tauheed group, Nasir Laiq Bacha and Shams Buneri of the ANP, Bashir Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami, Usman Shah Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party, former MNA Sher Akbar Khan of the PPP-S, Ghulam Mohammad Jamadar of the Tablighi Jamaat and media persons.
AFP adds: “We have decided to deploy eight platoons,” Frontier Constabulary commandant Zafarullah Khan said. There are roughly 40-45 soldiers per platoon.
Local people said masked Taliban were asking people on the streets to support them in their efforts to implement Sharia and announcements were being made over mosques’ public address systems that ‘un-Islamic’ activities would no longer be tolerated.
Banners in the district’s main town warned women not to go to markets and public places. Men were told not to shave off their beards.
“They have unleashed a reign of terror in Buner,” former lawmaker Karim Babak said. “This situation has sent a wave of panic among people.”
Another resident said: “Police are helpless and seem to have lost control. Taliban are moving freely everywhere in my town.”
Hundreds of militants have set up checkpoints and occupied mosques in the district. A Taliban leader said they would set up sharia courts in Buner but would not interfere with police work.
Lawyers said that local courts had been shut till May 2.
Even the health department has asked women not to report for work in order to ensure their safety, an official said. “We have asked our female staff not to do field duties,” EDO Maqsood Ahmad Khan said.
FO rejects Hillary’s criticism
“The democratic government firmly believes in a holistic approach, which is effective at all levels … we need to address the underlying causes, including political, security and socio-economic issues. Pakistan will continue playing its positive and constructive role,” Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said at a weekly briefing in response to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s allegation that Islamabad was ceding “more and more territory” to insurgents.
Explaining Pakistan’s laid-back approach towards the rapidly advancing Taliban, who are believed to be at the doors of the federal capital, he said: “What we are doing here in Islamabad and in the country as a whole is to come up with a comprehensive response to deal with these issues.”
He defended the Swat deal and said its implementation would bring peace and stability to the region. The spokesman expressed the hope that the country would surmount the challenging times with the help of “inherent national resilience and strength”.
Mr Basit was so sure of the nation’s resilience coming to the country’s rescue that he referred to it four times during his 18-minute briefing.
He attributed the challenges facing the country to the conflict in Afghanistan.The spokesman said attempts to malign and isolate Pakistan would fail.
He reminded the critics of the support Pakistan had received from the international community at a conference in Tokyo.
“The recent meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan in Tokyo has clearly demonstrated that the international community fully supports Pakistan in its efforts towards curbing the scourges of extremism and terrorism and that they have full faith in our abilities and institutional strength to sail through this difficult time.”
Reacting to India’s launch of Israeli-built spy radar imaging satellite earlier this week, the spokesman called for maintaining strategic stability in South Asia.
“Pakistan places high premium on maintaining strategic stability in South Asia. We have repeatedly underscored the need for a comprehensive strategic restraint regime, which is in the fundamental interests of the people of this region.” Mr Basit said Pakistan was evaluating the implications of the Indian satellite launch.
AFP adds: The spokesman said Pakistan would provide legal assistance to students facing deportation from Britain after being arrested in anti-terror raids and released without charge.
“There is legal recourse available to them and we will assist them, if need be,” he said.
PML-N seeks briefing by ISPR on Swat plight
Reports of a Taliban advance from the troubled Swat valley to the adjoining Buner district dominated the day’s proceedings spreading over two sittings, during which most speakers denounced the militants’ terror campaign in the NWFP’s Makakand division and called for a united resistance by the government and political forces to what some called a conspiracy against Pakistan.
While ministers avoided speaking on the issue apparently because of worries about the fate of the controversial peace deal, the strongest denunciation of the militants came from the government’s ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which had boycotted an April 13 passage of resolution by the house that asked President Asif Ali Zardari to approve the enforcement of a Sharia regulation in Malakand in exchange for a Taliban pledge to lay down their arms and cease their year-long brutal campaign to enforce their own brand of Sharia.
It was at the fag-end of the second sitting of the house in the evening that a senior member of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N, Ahsan Iqbal, cited some foreign media reports about the Taliban advances despite the peace deal to demand that the prime minister “take the national leadership into confidence within 24 hours” about the government strategy to meet what he called a serious situation and “fears about the future of the country”.
He also suggested that the director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence brief the house about “ground realities” in a secret session.
His party colleague Khwaja Saad Rafique also proposed that the government allow the house to continue a debate on the “burning situation” rather than prorogue it on Friday as scheduled.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan promised to consult Prime Minister Gilani about the PML-N members’ concern immediately after Thursday’s adjournment of the house – until 9.30am on Friday -- and later inform them of the government’s response.
Members from the both the opposition and ruling coalition benches condemned the Taliban activities while speaking in a continuing debate on the March 28 presidential address to a joint sitting of parliament and some of them took the head of the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and deal signatory for the Taliban, Sufi Mohammad, to task for a recent speech in which he called the country’s superior courts and democracy un-Islamic.
CHAIR’S RULING: On a demand by MQM deputy parliamentary leader Haider Abbas Rizvi for a ruling on the TNSM chief’s outburst, Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi declared that Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution was Islamic and all institutions functioning under it were constitutional and that nobody could become a kafir (infidel) just by branded as such by someone.
Mr Rizvi, who frequently punctuated his speech with Urdu verse, was of the view that the National Assembly had “cut its own hands and feet” by the passing its resolution for the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009, which he said legitimised the militants and was a negation of a resolution of a joint session of parliament that called for dialogue with elements who recognized the Constitution and law and of the mandate of secular ANP parliamentarians elected from the area in the Feb 18, 2008, election.
In an obvious reference to a PML-N call on Tuesday for a review of the peace deal it had backed, he noted that some supporters of the April 13 resolution were now changing their views “as a situation unfolded” about the designs of those who, he said, sought to “ruin the future of Pakistan” with impunity.
Mr Rizvi said Taliban activities were on the rise in Karachi as well in what he saw a move to “sandwich Pakistan from north to south” but he vowed that the descendants of those who had to migrate from India in making Pakistan “are once again prepared to make sacrifice for this country”.
PML-N’s Sahibzada Fazal Karim accused the Taliban of using the garb of Islam to harm Pakistan’s sovereignty and said: “We do not want this brand of Islam.”
Sufi extends Darul Qaza deadline
BATKHELA, April 23: At the request of the NWFP government, TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad agreed on Thursday to defer the deadline of April 23 he had set for setting up Darul Qaza in Malakand.He, however, refused to change his statement that the British-era political and judicial system in Pakistan was ‘un-Islamic’.
A meeting of the TNSM shura held at its headquarters in Amandara endorsed Sufi Mohammad’s decision to extend the deadline for an indefinite period.
TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan told Dawn that the Maulana had accepted the provincial government’s request to withdraw his decision of pulling out of the peace accord if Darul Qaza was not set up by April 23.He said the government was sincere in the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl regulation and hoped Darul Qaza and Qazi courts would be set up soon.
Meanwhile, a 20-member delegation of the JUI-S led by Maulana Samiul Haq met the TNSM chief and praised his efforts for fulfilling the aspirations of thousands of people of Malakand.
After an hour-long meeting, they addressed TNSM workers and briefed newsmen on their talks.
The TNSM chief reiterated his earlier stand that the British system in force in Pakistan was ghair-sharai (un-Islamic).
Maulana Samiul Haq said that some elements were out to sabotage the peace agreement in Swat.
He urged the TNSM leadership to exercise restraint and counter the negative propaganda of western powers and their cronies against Islam.
He hoped the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl would set an example for the rest of the country.
All Parties’ Conference re-evaluates Swat deal
PESHAWAR: An All Parties’ Conference is being held on Friday in Peshawar, the provincial capital of the North West Frontier Province, to discuss the Swat peace deal.
According to sources, the meeting discussed the Taliban incursions beyond Malakand and the future course of action if Taliban refuse to disarm and continue their offensive into districts adjoining Swat.
After the Taliban incursions into Buner, a backlash to the Swat peace deal is unfolding across the province and the rest of the country, especially in the political leadership.
The meeting of the various political parties is important as it was preceded by a high level meeting late Thursday night between NWFP Governor, Chief Minister and high ranking army officials.
The possibility of restarting the military offensive against the brazen Taliban was also discussed during the meeting, sources added.
Commissioner of Malakand being replaced
PESHAWAR: The NWFP government has decided to replace Malakand division commissioner Syed Mohammad Javed, who has been drawing criticism from different quarters for allegedly mishandling the situation in the troubled Swat region, official sources said.
The establishment department has called back Abdul Karim Khattak from the National Institute of Management, Lahore, and he is expected to replace Mr Javed in a couple of days, the sources told Dawn on Thursday.
Mr Khattak, a Grade 20 officer from the Provincial Civil Service, was serving as commissioner of Malakand before proceeding on mandatory training a few months ago. His training would be completed in June, but he was called back on Thursday keeping in view the situation in the Malakand division, said the sources.=====================
Thursday, 23 Apr, 2009
PML-N calls for review of Swat agreement
ISLAMABAD, April 22: In an apparent policy shift, the Pakistan Muslim League-N told the National Assembly on Wednesday that a controversial peace deal with the Swat valley militants must be reviewed, while a key government ally seemed justifying the Taliban’s push in the area by calling for Pakistan’s withdrawal from the international anti-terror coalition.
PML-N parliamentary group leader Khwaja Mohammad Asif said his main opposition party had supported last week’s resolution of the lower house for the enforcement of a Sharia regulation in the Malakand division of the NWFP for the sake of peace in the violence-hit area, but the activities of the militants over the past few days had shown that the “gun-carrying Taliban” were spreading to more areas and wanted to “eventually capture whole of Pakistan”.
“The topic has to be revisited if it is considered as a weakness of parliament,” he said about the April 13 resolution that recommended to President Asif Ali Zardari to approve the NWFP government’s Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009 in exchange for a pledge on behalf of the Taliban that they would lay down their arms and cease their brutal campaign against security forces and those who differed with their interpretation of Islam.
In what was the strongest PML-N denunciation of the militant terror campaign in continuing debate on a March 28 presidential address to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, Mr Asif accused the Taliban of carrying out “fasad (mischief) in the name of God” and said: “We will not let Pakistan to be captured by a force in Islam’s garb that has already been the cause of destruction in Afghanistan”.
Referring to more than a year of military operation against the Swat militants, the PML-N leader said he had “no adequate information about why our forces have gone on the back foot in these areas”, and called for a national dialogue to solve problems such as provincial autonomy.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose party is an ally in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led coalition government in the centre, blamed the Taliban campaign in Swat and the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) largely on Pakistan’s participation in the US-led so-called “war against terrorism” and the previous government’s blocking of the then JUI-led NWFP government’s bid to enforce an Islamic system there through a controversial Hisba bill.
While condemning repeated US drone attacks in Fata targeting suspected Al Qaeda or Taliban hideouts as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, he said little against the violence carried out by the Taliban, the presence of foreign militants there, the massacres and destruction of girls schools in Swat or the devastating suicide bomb attacks across the country. But he suggested a policy change by Islamabad as the best cure of the problem.
“If you get out of the international coalition (against terrorism), I assure you these people will say ‘our war is over’,” he said, echoing the demands of Al Qaeda and Taliban as well as critics of Pakistan’s key role in the US-led coalition formed after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
The Maulana, whose party is accused by critics of having sympathies for Taliban and even allowing their spread from Fata to the NWFP during five years of JUI-led MMA government in the province, said the government had lost control over of the entire Malakand division while the militants, with presence in all parts of the province, had marched from Swat to the adjoining Buner district and were “sitting over the head of Tarbela Dam” after reaching Kala Dakka area of Mansehra district. “By moving a little further, they could sit on Margalla hills (overlooking Islamabad),” he added while accusing the “national leadership” of showing negligence to a critical situation. He described the Swat peace deal with the head of the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) Sufi Mohammad as a product of a “lost war” comparable to Pakistan’s 1972 Simla Agreement with India after the lost war over Bangladesh and suggested that the government should now lift the ban on TNSM.
Former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also painted a bleak picture of the situation in the NWFP and accused the government of lacking the political will to tackle it.
LOSS IN VICOTRY: Earlier, a government victory in a controversial vote for the election of five members to the board of governors of the National Book Foundation turned into a moral defeat thanks to the bad management of business and a controversial role of Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi.
Mr Kundi put the motion for election three times for a voice vote and declared the five PPP members elected despite louder “no” shouts from the opposition and refused a head count demanded by the opposition.
But after the chair agreed to have a head count, members of the government ally Mutahida Qaumi Movement initially refused to stand up in favour of the government motion, and two house functionaries seemed to have informed the secretary of number of favourable votes.
The chair waited for several minutes to call for the motion’s opponents to stand in their seats while PPP chief whip and Labour and Manpower Minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah pleaded with the MQM members to stand up to support the move, which they eventually did, sparking the opposition’s first protest walkout in the present session to protest against the chair’s alleged partiality.
However, after MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi said his party voted for the government move for being its ally but it was not consulted about the candidates who he said should belong to both sides of the house.
Mr Shah agreed with the point and said the government would withdraw the motion and consult other parties later.
Peace in Swat is conditional, Gilani warns
Thursday, 23 Apr, 2009 | 03:51 PM PST |
ISLAMABAD: Talking to the media at the Cabinet secretariat here on Thursday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Hilary Clinton should understand that local customs and jirga are the guarantors of the peace agreement in Swat.
‘The provincial government will hold meetings with the local jirga as well as Sufi Mohammad to assess if peace is established in Swat following the imposition of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation,’ PM Gilani said.
He also said that his government has other options to ensure that the writ of the state is established in the troubled Frontier regions, if peace is not restored.
‘The federal government has to respect the mandate of the provincial government and the parliament which has passed the Regulation to ensure that peace prevails in troubled Swat valley,’ he added.
The premier maintained that his government had taken a firm stance on UK government's arresting the Pakistani students on fake terrorism charges, saying that these students were released on the government's intervention.
He added that he had talked to PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif in London and conveyed to him PPP’s decision of calling the parliamentary party from Punjab to consult them on sitting on Punjab’s opposition benches.
Taliban lower their profile in Mingora
MINGORA, April 22: The terrorised people of Mingora were bewildered on Wednesday to see the Taliban discontinue patrols, dismantling roadblocks and withdraw to their previous positions.
A
spokesman said that the chief of the Swat Taliban ‘Maulana’ Fazlullah,
had ordered his men to abandon several checkposts on main roads.
On the other hand, Taliban have intensified their activities in other Swat areas, including Kabal, Charbagh, Matta, and Qamber tehsils.
Meanwhile, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain conducted a brief tour of the Swat valley after a meeting with TNSM leaders, including Sufi Mohammad, in Amandara.
He was accompanied by ANP’s provincial chief Afrasiab Khattak and provincial law secretary Fayaz Turo. They also held a meeting with GOC Maj-Gen Ijaz Hussain and officials of the civilian administration in Saidu Sharif.
NIZAM-I-SALAT
Also on Wednesday, Qazi Mohammad Rehman announced the enforcement of the Nizam-i-Salat in Barikot tehsil.
The order, made public through loudspeakers by the bazaar association, directed all businessmen to keep their
shops and markets closed for Zohr and Asr prayers. Violators were warned of stern action.
Two people were shot dead in Sarbada, Matta tehsil. A constable of Kalam police station was kidnapped from Bahrain. No group claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
Courts stop functioning in Buner
BUNER: Regular courts stopped functioning here on Wednesday after judicial officers went on leave for an indefinite period in compliance with directives of the Peshawar High Court.
Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi chief, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, had asked the government on Sunday to abolish regular courts and set up Darul Qaza for appeal by April 23.
In neighbouring Shangla district also, judges could not perform their duties because lawyers did not appear in courts after they received a threat against doing so. In a letter pasted near the bar room, militants had warned lawyers against appearing before courts.
Buner and Shangla are two of the seven districts of Malakand division where the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation will be enforced.
An official of the Peshawar High Court told Dawn: ‘Safety of our officials is of supreme importance for us. How is it possible for judges to perform their duty when personnel of law-enforcement agencies and administration are not present in the district.’
District Coordination Officer Javed Ahmed Khan, District Police Officer Abdur Rashed Khan and Assistant Coordination Officer Pervez Khan Yousafzai had already left the district more than a week ago.
The PHC official said that judicial officers would resume their work once the situation improved. A judicial officer confirmed that the district police officer had categorically told them that he could not guarantee safety to court officials.
The flight of elected representatives and administration officials has left people at the mercy of militants. Emboldened by the arrival of more Taliban from the neighbouring Swat Valley, militants have intensified their activities.
The Taliban have extended their control to villages near the border of Buner district with Swabi and Mardan. They have firmed up their hold on different areas.
Armed men were seen patrolling in the Totalai village of provincial minister Sardar Hussain Babak, about 50km from the district headquarters of Daggar.
The occupation of this village has sown fears that the Taliban might intrude into nearby Swabi. In Salarzai area, the Taliban have asked people to grow beard and offer prayers regularly.
Taliban leader Maulana Khalil, from Shangla district, regularly visits mosques, markets and other localities to monitor compliance. He will address a gathering at Juar Bazar on Thursday.
After taking control of Totalai, the Taliban entered the Hujra of one Ghulam Rashed, who is in charge of an education project of the World Food Programme, and took away three vehicles.
Police confirmed the incident. Ghulam Rashed had shifted his office to Totalai from Swari when militants occupied upper parts of Buner.
The militants have intensified their activities against the NGOs. They have been searching passing vehicles at check-posts set up by them and asking people whether they belonged to an NGO.
On Wednesday, the Taliban snatched two more vehicles of a national programme and two ambulances provided by Paiman to the district headquarters hospital in Daggar and the civil hospital in Chamla.
Mufti Basher, a Taliban commander, has directed his subordinates to return a Potohar jeep and computers taken away from the office of Literacy for All (LFA) in Buner two days ago. He issued the directives after the LFA chief met him in Markaz-i-Taliban in Sultanwas and said that his organisation was not an NGO.
The Taliban have so far snatched 17 government and non-government vehicles. The number of vehicles taken away from abandoned homes run into the dozens.
After the capture of Buner on April 4, militants have been descending on the place from nearby regions, boosting the Taliban’s strength.
=========================
21 April 2009
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,620127,00.html
Spiegel Online
Taliban laden Osama Bin Laden ins Swat-Tal ein
Mit gezielten Provokationen feiern die Taliban die Übernahme des Swat-Tals in Pakistan: Ein Sprecher erklärte jetzt öffentlich, dass Qaida-Führer Osama Bin Laden in der Region willkommen sei. Auch Anhänger des Terrornetzwerks würden "wie Brüder behandelt".
=================================================DAWN
Tuesday, 21 Apr, 2009
Fazl assails manner of Swat Sharia enforcement
“The process of enforcing Sharia in Swat is incorrect. It must be implemented on the basis of recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology,” he said at a press conference at the end of a two-day meeting of the party’s central executive committee here on Monday.
He said that whatever Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Sufi Mohammad had been saying about the Constitution, democracy and Islamic ideology were his personal views and did not represent those of others belonging to his school of thought.
Maulana Fazl said that had the democratic institutions made necessary Islamic legislations, there would have been no complaints and problems today.
He said the JUI had formed a committee to review resolutions adopted by the National Assembly for implementing Sharia in 1994, 1999 and 2009.
He blamed lawmakers’ deviation from Islamic legislation for the unrest in the NWFP.
Criticising some parties for approving the Nizam-i-Adl regulation, he said the same parties had opposed the Hisba Bill approved by the last JUI-led government in the NWFP, adding that the Supreme Court had also termed the bill ‘non-feasible’.
DRONE ATTACKS: Declaring US drone attacks lethal to the country’s integrity, he called for a national strategy to counter them. He said the JUI had begun consulting other religious and political parties to develop a national consensus on safeguarding the country’s frontiers.
Maulana Fazl said the government was not serious about countering threats being faced by the country.
He warned that the situation in the NWFP, Fata, Balochistan and Sindh had put the very existence of Pakistan in jeopardy.
He accused the MQM of advancing what he called foreign agenda by opposing enforcement of Sharia in Swat and alleged that conspiracies were being hatched to ignite sectarian riots.
APP adds: Maulana Fazl said that Sufi Mohammad had limited knowledge of democracy, adding that the JUI accepted the present democratic system which guaranteed legislation under Quran and Sunnah.
“Religious elements turned to extremism because the Hisba Bill was torn off and the Women’s Protection Bill replaced the Hudood laws … which led … to obscenity.”
He called for concerted action to eliminate extremism, honour-killings and obscenity.
The JUI chief said his party “will support the application of Article 6 of the Constitution on former president Pervez Musharraf if the judiciary and other political parties can afford it”.
Move to table Adl resolution in Senate thwarted
Lawmakers from both the treasury and the opposition opposed tabling of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in the house.
After a failed attempt to skip the issue, Senate Chairman Farooq H. Naek reserved his ruling on Sufi Mohammad’s ‘edict’ and the resolution through which the regulation was to be adopted.
At the outset, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Minister Babar Ghauri interrupted the chairman during announcement of leave applications of members.
“Mr chairman, first you must tell us whether we are non-Muslims and whatever we have been doing for the past one and a half years was un-Islamic?” he asked.
Tahir Mashhadi, of the MQM, said: “We have been Muslims for 1,400 years and no one can be allowed to tell us about our faith.” He opposed tabling of the Nizam-i-Adl resolution, which was on the day’s agenda.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan, who introduced the document in the house, defended the act, saying that there was no harm in doing something which had already been done in the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had adopted a resolution backing the regulation on the day it was presented.
Abdul Rahim Mandokhel said: “We are not responsible for introduction of the document in the National Assembly, but we will never allow its introduction in this house.”
Ilyas Bilour, of the Awami National Party, also opposed introduction of the resolution on the ground that it had already been passed by the National Assembly and the president and the NWFP governor had signed the regulation for enforcement.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah cited rules and constitutional provisions to prove that the regulation could not be tabled in the house because it had been signed by President Zardari in exercise of his prerogative. Moreover, he added, the document pertained to a province, and not the federal government.
After a heated debate, Mr Ghauri led a walkout by members of his party.
Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari confronted the Pakistan Muslim League-Q over its walkout after its failure to introduce a bill against horse trading.
When Leader of the Opposition Wasim Sajjad led the walkout by members of his party, Mr Bokhari said: “You had changed the same law when it suited you and now when it bites your own party you want to score points.”
Introduction of the bill seeking to amend the law on horse-trading was opposed by the majority of members when the parliamentary affairs minister informed the house that a committee was being formed to propose changes to the Constitution.
Mr Sajjad regretted that the law against changing loyalties, immoral political manoeuvres and horse-trading passed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s government was changed later. He said the power to declare a legislator a turncoat should lie with the leader of his party, who should send his name to the Supreme Court for decision in 30 days.
He expressed dismay over opposition to the bill.
Mian Raza Rabbani, of the Pakistan People’s Party, introduced two bills seeking to repeal an amendment to the Banking Ordinance of 1962 for lifting the ban on trade unions and repeal of the Removal from Service (Special Powers) Ordinance 2000.
“The law putting curbs on trade unions in the banking sector is a black law which negates international norms and ILO conventions,” he said.
He also criticised a law that gave unbridled powers to the erstwhile military government for removing from service any government servant. He said the PPP was committed to repealing the ordinance.
Govt will adhere to Swat deal if peace restored: Malik
ISLAMABAD: The government would adhere to the Swat deal if militants restored complete peace in the area and surrender their arms, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik said on Monday.
‘The Tehrik-i-Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Sufi Muhammad must persuade militants to give up their weapons,’ the adviser told reporters outside the Parliament House.
‘Killers of innocent people and those who are carrying out suicide attacks are enemies of Islam and Pakistan. The Holy Quran and Islam do not allow this.’ About the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation he said that under the law, judges would act as Qazis in Swat. ‘It is wrong to say that Maulvis will be appointed as judges. High court judges will act as Qazis.’
Referring to Sufi Muhammad’s statement about superior courts, he said the government would first review what he had actually said. The original text of his speech had been sought from the NWFP government, he added. ‘After reviewing his speech we will be able to say exactly what Sufi Muhammad said.’
Referring to Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) reaction to the Nizam-i-Adl regulation, Malik said Awami Natinal Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan had discussed the matter with MQM leader Altaf Hussain and they had decided to jointly fight Taliban and anti-state elements.
He said some elements had tried to create unrest in Karachi but the MQM and ANP decided not to allow anyone to disturb peace.
About the situation in Balochistan, the adviser said that a judicial commission was investigating the recent incidents of violence.Eight kidnapped by suspected militants in Swat
MINGORA: Six security personnel and two civilian drivers were kidnapped by suspected militants in the restive Swat region on Monday.
Four Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel in plain cloths and their civilian driver were kidnapped by suspected Taliban militants while they were on routine patrolling in a mountainous area of Khwzakhela tehsil.
Suspected militants also kidnapped two security personnel and driver of a private ambulance from Charbagh area on Monday morning. The two kidnapped personnel have brought the body of slain soldier who was killed in a suicide attack on a check post in Hangu few days back. On their way back home, the armed militants intercepted their vehicle and took them away to an undisclosed location.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan confirmed that Taliban have arrested four suspected persons from a nearby mountain in Khwazakhela. He said the suspected persons were in plain cloths and a camera and vehicle were also seized from their possession.
The detainees, he said, are in Taliban custody and under investigation. He said the military officials are of the view that the suspected persons are their colleagues. 'Can I ask them (military officials) what their colleagues in plain cloth were doing in the area when they have no need of roaming there,' he said.
Muslim Khan said the act was a clear violation of the peace accord and a conspiracy to sabotage the agreement. 'Taliban are abiding the peace accord but the other side was time and again violating it,' he said.
Do we know our identity?
I have been watching the situation develop for quite some time now, and am faced with the reality that the draconian ideology of the Taliban may win a decisive victory in the ‘battle for Pakistan’.
The first time I went to Afghanistan was while conducting research in 1997. It was a time when the Taliban had been in power for not much more than six months. Initially, I was hopeful that Afghanistan’s trauma was starting its final chapter and the whole tragic episode would soon come to an end.
This was also the view of many hopeful Afghans from a multitude of ethno-cultural backgrounds who sought an end to the barbaric civil war that had erupted soon after the Soviet forces left the country in 1989. However, retrospectively, hope was also all-enveloping as the Taliban entered Herat in 1995. As soon as hope appeared it vanished when the Taliban began imposing their draconian dogma on the city’s relatively liberal population. Kabul began to realise that it would not be an exception as it suffered the same fate.
But
what does it all mean? Many are quite confused about the whole
situation. Some — and they are not few in number — still see the
Taliban as a Robin Hood righting the wrongs of the current system —
even as they creep closer to the capital. Confusion about the Taliban
is further increased by the presence of western forces in Afghanistan,
since the differences between the ‘Muslim Taliban’ and the ‘Muslim rest
of us’ don’t seem so great when we compare the Taliban to the West. Or
do they? What do we really think we are?
Fundamentally, we need
to look at where we are and where we would like to go as a community
and a nation. In this respect, I have several questions: what do the
Taliban offer that is so inviting to the masses; considering they
originally emerged as a direct response to the socio-cultural
insecurities of the Afghan civil war (1989-1994) what are the root
causes of their emergence in the relatively peaceful tribal areas of
Pakistan; and, what short-term and long-term decisions need to be made
to resolve this crisis.
We need to look at the structural and
systemic flaws in Pakistan to get an idea of why the Taliban have
become so successful. Pakistan is without a doubt a feudal society that
has had a succession of sprouting buds, in the form of
institution-building, quashed in their embryonic stage as soon as the
emancipation of the country’s masses challenged the status quo.
However,
this is not to imply that the Taliban are the solution. Far from it,
the Taliban represent the most uncivilised form of governance that has
emerged from the limited imaginations of the feudal and industrial
elite. Their form of justice may well be quick but it is also brutal
and not representative of the general Pakistani mindset. And this is
the point I would like to drive home.
Pakistan was created as only one of two nations with religion as the basis of its origins. The other, Israel, is also suffering from its identity as a Jewish state, and has made mistake after mistake, irrespective of the history of its people, in the maintenance of its identity. Israel declares that it is a democracy with secular Jewish values. Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?
Whilst Israel is primarily a ‘Jewish’ state, how can it also be a secular state? So too for Pakistan. It was created as an Islamic republic; yet, ever since its creation, it has espoused values that parallel secularism under so-called democratic governments and dictatorships, but it claims to be the defender of Islam.
The only time that this was not the case was when Gen Zia promoted the Sharia to condition society to the ‘jihad’ being fought in Afghanistan whilst advancing his notion of ‘strategic depth’ (vis-à-vis India) at the expense of the long-term stability of Pakistan and the two million Afghans that perished during the Soviet occupation. Nevertheless, Pakistan is a society that has always suffered a contradiction in terms of its identity.
The fundamental question that Pakistanis face is: do we want to be an Islamic or a secular state? The answer to this basic question is very simple, as it is only when we recognise how we would like to live (not just exist) in Pakistan in the future that we can answer it.
There is no confusion in my mind as to how I would like to live. That is, in a peaceful, pluralistic and democratic environment free from the threat of physical and/or mental violence or subjugation. In essence, it would be a society that allows me to express myself and my thoughts freely within socially and consensually accepted limits through a free and unrestricted media and press; to be able to form a political party that may be in direct political opposition to the ruling party, and contest free and fair elections without the threat of intimidation and violence.
It would be one where there would be freedom of association; where my human and civil rights are protected but where I can protest when my rights are being infringed on; where I can live free from discrimination of any sort. Here I would be able to fulfil my potential. In other words, there would truly be the freedom to select a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Now, this is a tall order. To achieve democracy, civil institutions are required which are not quashed at the slightest inconvenience to the ruling elite. However, to have democratic elections, the government must facilitate education for its populace for it to understand the democratic process and make accurate decisions based on the merit of those being elected to office and not their ties to power brokers.As such, can we truly say that the elections for the present government were held in a democratic manner? Do we have a leader that was directly elected by the electorate? I do not believe so.
It is the ideological contradiction between what the elite say and do that is divisive. Unless resolved quickly, the Pakistani public may come to view the Taliban as a credible alternative without realising the detrimental long-term impacts of their decisions to the state and their basic freedoms. aqabmalik@hotmail.comFallout of the deal
Sufi Mohammad has declared that the high courts and the Supreme Court of Pakistan should no longer have appellate power over judgments handed down by the so-called Sharia courts established under the Nizam-i-Adl agreement. Arguing that the judicial system laid out in the country’s constitution is ‘un-Islamic’, he has demanded that the regular court system be replaced with the Darul Qazas as the only forum for filing appeals that will then be decided in line with what Sufi Mohammad vaguely calls ‘Islamic principles’.
The demand constitutes cause for the gravest concern since, if accepted, it will remove the existing courts from the jurisdiction of the country’s judicial system. Appellate power will go to Darul Qazas headed by qazis with no legal training and appointed by Sufi Mohammad himself.
In attempting to decide cases in line with ‘Islamic injunctions’ that have never been defined in full, the qazis will effectively be not only making their own laws but making them according to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Sufi Mohammad’s own skewed version of the Sharia. Not only does this put paid to any chance of transparency or justice in Swat and Malakand, it bodes ill for the rest of the country as well, given the Taliban’s expansionist tendencies.
Sufi Mohammad’s latest demand is a potent example of the fallout that can be expected since the government cut a shadowy deal with the Taliban, the full details of which remain unclear. On available evidence, the militants make ever-increasing demands under the banner of the Nizam-i-Adl, and the government, after some dragging of the heels, capitulates.
But there are no indications that the Taliban are doing anything to uphold their end of the deal — which was to bring an end to terrorist activities and allow the government to regain administrative control of the area. Far from laying down arms, at the very time the deal was being brokered the Taliban were expanding their operations to Buner and Mansehra.
Meanwhile, Sufi Mohammad has claimed that criminals accused of murder, extortion and terrorism cannot be brought to book. Furthermore, the demand illustrates how Sufi Mohammad has used his position as peace-broker to manoeuvre greater power and relevance towards the extreme right-wing agenda. It underscores the danger inherent in depending for peace on the man who heads the TNSM, an organisation banned for its militant and subversive activities, and whose credentials in terms of respecting the jurisdiction of the lawful government are extremely suspect.================
Monday, 20 Apr, 2009
Row in NA over Sufi’s affront to superior courts: Report sought from NWFP govt
The treasury benches were put on the defensive and tried to evade a discussion after one from their own ranks, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Farooq Sattar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, sought the chair’s ruling about the radical cleric’s objectionable speech to a public rally at the main Swat town of Mingora in which he called the Supreme Court and the four provincial high courts ‘ghair sharai’ (un-Islamic).
But in a move to avoid another protest walkout by the MQM soon after it ended a week-long related boycott of the house, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik said the federal government had “called for the text of yesterday’s speech” by the head of the banned Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and added: “We are going through it.”
He said the federal government had also asked for a “reply” from the Awami National Party-led provincial government, which had made a peace deal with the cleric and enforced a Sharia regulation in the Taliban-infested Malakand division to appease the militants after security forces failed to eliminate them.
“It could be only his personal act,” the adviser said about TNSM chief’s speech in which he was also reported to have said that there was no room for democracy in Islam and that the existing political system in Pakistan contravened the holy Quran and Sunnah. “If there is anything objectionable, we will look into it.”
Mr Sattar said he had raised the matter in the National Assembly on a point of order because the same house had passed a resolution on April 13 -- ignoring an MQM walkout that lasted until Monday -- recommending to President Asif Ali Zardari to sign the NWFP government’s Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009 as an authorisation for provincial governor Owais Ghani to enforce it to meet a precondition by militants for laying down their arms after more than a year of brutal revolt, which was met by a military operation.
MQM members stood up apparently to stage a protest walkout after Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi said there was no need for a ruling after the resolution was passed by the house and Privatisation Minister Naveed Qamar argued that “no further debate is required” and there was no need to give the matter “that importance” – “we don’t need anybody’s fatwa” (about being Muslims).
But the agitated lawmakers resumed their seats on being signalled by Mr Sattar from his front-row ministerial seat after the assurance from Adviser Malik, who also said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was seeking to defuse what he called a “deteriorating situation” in Karachi following the weekend violence there after the kidnapping and murder of an ANP activist.
The brief row interrupted a continuing debate on President Zardari’s address to a March 28 joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate, which saw eight speeches to poorly attended Monday’s sitting before the house was adjourned until 10am on Tuesday.
Superior courts ‘un-Islamic’, says Swat Sufi: Govt asked to set up Darul Qaza by 23rd
He asked the government to abolish regular courts and sack judges and set up Darul Qaza for appeal by April 23 and appoint Qazis at all Sharia courts within one month throughout the Malakand division and Kohistan district as promised in the February 16 accord.
He warned that if his demands were not met his men would restart a protest campaign in the region.
Addressing a mammoth public meeting at the Grassy Ground in Saidu Sharif, the TNSM chief said he had restored peace in Swat as per his commitment and now the state institutions, including police, should restore the writ of the government.
Thousands of people from various areas of Malakand attended the meeting.
The TNSM chief said: “We are custodians of Pakistan and its Constitution, while the judges of Supreme Court and High Courts, democratic ulema, politicians and Khawaneen (feudal lords) are their enemies.”
He said the democratic ulema had strengthened infidelity by joining the campaign for restoration of judges. He said the judicial system should be structured to conform to Sharia. “I refused to be released on bail because the bail under the century-old British law is un-Islamic.”
The TNSM chief said Islamic Sharia comprised six sections -- judicial, politics, economic, social and educational and relating to health. He said if the judicial system was restructured to conform to Islam, all other systems would be automatically reformed.
He said decisions of Qazi courts could not be challenged in civil courts. “In case of any reservation over a judgment, the complainant should move a Darul Qaza (superior court),” he said. The decision of Darul Qaza would be final and not to be challenged in the Supreme Court and High Courts, he added.
Maulana Sufi said: “The government has lost its writ in Malakand, it should establish it forthwith to implement the decisions of Sharia courts, because a strong government is a prerequisite for the enforcement for Sharia and restoration of peace.”
He said there was no room for democracy in Islam and the existing political system in Pakistan was in contravention of the Quran and Sunnah, adding: “Allah’s nizam should be enforced on Allah’s land.”
He said after a struggle of over 20 years, Islamic Sharia had been enforced in the Malakand division and Kohistan. He said all un-Islamic laws would soon be abolished in Malakand.
The TNSM chief said he had earlier rejected the Nizam Adl Regulation announced by the PPP and PML-N governments because that was not implemented properly. He said the man-made regulation was un-Islamic and it should not be called Sharia.
He accused the rulers of appeasing the West by thrusting the system of ‘Kufr’ on the Islam-loving people. He said he wanted peace and affection among Muslims and wished to set up a social system based on brotherhood. He said through a well-hatched conspiracy Muslims had been divided into parties and groups. He called upon Muslims to forge unity in their ranks because the Ummah was passing through a critical phase.
The TNSM chief praised the ‘Pakhtunkhwa government’ for the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl and said people of the region would remember their efforts for a long time.It was expected that Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who had played a key role as a mediator between the Taliban and the NWFP government, would ask the militants to lay down arms and join the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction in the violence-ravaged Swat valley.
Sheikhul Quran Maulana Waliullah Batgrami, TNSM Swat chief Maulana Abdul Haq, Buner chief Maulana Salar, Dir Lower chief Maulana Samiullah, Dir Upper chief Maulana Bacha Zeb, Shangla chief Maulana Mohammad Fayaz and Kohistan chief Maulana Noor Nabi also addressed the rally.
==================
Sunday, 19 Apr, 2009
Criticism of Nizam-i-Adl unjustified: Asfandyar
KARACHI, April 18: The criticism of the recently-concluded agreement in Swat and the enforcement of the Nizam-i-Adl regulation is unjustified, Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Saturday.Addressing a joint press conference with NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti at the residence of Sindh ANP chief Shahi Syed, Mr Khan said the law was in force in Malakand since 1994, when it was signed by then prime minister Benazir Bhutto and chief minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.
According to him, all stakeholders were taken into confidence on the Swat accord, which had also been approved by the National Assembly.
“My prime interest is Pakistan. We are protecting national interests. In 1998, the ’94 agreement was re-endorsed by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. At that time, Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi was NWFP’s chief minister.
“Iqbal Haider, who was federal law minister in 1994, supported the agreement at that time. Surprisingly, he is now opposing it,” said the ANP president.
He said under the Nizam-i-Adl agreement, the Mingora bench of the Peshawar High Court and its appellate bench are required to decide cases in a certain time limit.
The Peshawar High Court also has benches in Abbotabad and Dera Ismail Khan.
Mr Asfandyar said that the NWFP government would appoint the head of Qazi courts in consultation with the high court.
Mr Asfandyar said that Karachi belonged to all nationalities — “Urdu-speaking, Sindhis, Pukhtuns, Baloch, Punjabis. Ninety per cent of population of Karachi is from outside. We believe in peace in Karachi. In Karachi, Pukhtuns are driving rickshaws and working as night watchmen, jobs others don’t do”.
“We oppose a clash of interest and strongly believe in peaceful co-existence by tolerating each other in Karachi. We will never allow peace to be disturbed in Karachi.”—PPI
Swat deal to remain intact if peace lasts, says Gilani
KARACHI, April 18: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that Pakistan would coordinate with the United States its policy to combat terrorism during talks in Washington next month.The prime minister told a press conference here, after chairing a meeting of the Sindh cabinet, that it was wrong to think that Pakistan did not have a policy on the war on terror. “Our policy is ready and President Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the ISI chief will share it with the US administration.”
In reply to a question about the acrimony between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Awami National Party following the Swat accord, the prime minister said the two parties had different agenda, but it was his government’s endeavour to defuse the tension.
He said the Swat deal was linked to restoration of peace in the valley. “The agreement will remain intact if peace endures,” he said, adding that the president had signed the Nizam-i-Adl regulation only after 80 per cent peace was restored to Swat.
He said the new accord was an improved version of the agreements signed in 1994 and 1999.
He said the government’s reconciliation efforts would strengthen the country’s economy and its institutions and urged political forces to show maturity because the people had voted for a change.
Mr Gilani said Pakistan wanted good relations with neighbouring countries, including Iran, Afghanistan and India.
However, he admitted that the composite dialogue with India had been affected after the Mumbai attacks, but added that efforts were being made to revive the dialogue.
In reply to a question about Sindh government’s demand for announcing the NFC Award before the budget and resolving the issue of GST, Prime Minister Gilani said he would discuss the matter with his Finance Adviser Shaukat Tarin.
The Sindh government has said that GST is provincial matter and it should be distributed on the basis of collection or else the provincial governments should be allowed to collect the tax at their own level. It also sough reimbursement of Rs11.374 billion accumulated since 2000 and resolution of the GST issue on services (Central Excise Mode).
The Sindh Sales Tax Ordinance 2000 empowers the federal government to collect the GST on services on behalf of the province. However, proceeds of the tax are being transferred on the basis of population, resulting in transfer of proceeds collected from one province to another.
According to sources, the ordinance did not empower the federal government to transfer proceeds collected from Sindh to other provinces.
Earlier speaking at the Sindh cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Gilani said the federal government would support infrastructure and social sector development projects in Sindh.
Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, federal Food Minister Nazar Mohammad Gondal, provincial ministers, advisers and special assistance to the chief minister attended the meeting.
According to sources, the prime minister said his government was working to restore the 1973 Constitution and implement the Charter of Democracy singed by the PPP and the PML-N.
He said the country’s economy was showing a positive trend because of measures taken by the government.
About the unannounced loadshedding by the KESC, he said the issue would be resolved soon and the people of Karachi would get rid of the loadshedding with the help of better management and improved efficiency.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the law and order situation in Sindh.
The chief minister briefed the prime minister about law and order, development schemes and other matters.
==============
Friday, 17 Apr, 2009
Swat jirga asks Taliban to stop illegal activities
PESHAWAR: The Swat Qaumi Amn Jirga has asked Taliban to lay down arms, avoid kidnapping people for ransom and stop illegal occupation and selling of properties in the district as the government has fulfilled its commitment by enforcing the Niazm-i-Adl Regulation.
According to a press release, a meeting of the jirga was held here on Thursday that was attended by notables, political activists and elected representatives.
Following the promulgation of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand division, the jirga reviewed its overall impacts on Swat and the situation of law and order in different parts of the district.
The speakers said that government was duty bound to take more practical and effective steps for maintenance of its writ in the district and ensure protection to the innocent people.
They said after the enforcement of the regulation there was no room for Taliban to terrorise people. They expressed grave concern over the continuous occupation of public properties, houses of influential people, militants’ training and digging of trenches in different hilly areas. Such actions would cause uncertainty in the area, they added.
The speakers feared that Nizam-i-Adl Regulation would also meet the fate of the previous peace agreements with the militants, which resulted into destruction, killing of thousands of people, displacement and abductions, if they were not stopped from taking the illegal steps.
The meeting also expressed deep concern over the problems being faced by the displaced people of Swat and asked the government to adopt concrete policies for wellbeing, rehabilitation and solution to their problems.
They suggested that government should announce a comprehensive uplift package for the development and reconstruction of damaged and destroyed buildings in Swat.
The speakers also appealed to the pubic to take combined steps for restoration of peace and development of the area.
Meanwhile, the Chitral Youth Organisation and traders belonging to Chitral held a rally outside Peshawar Press Club here on Thursday in favour of promulgation of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand division.
The participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of Nizam-i-Adl. They hoped that it would help restore peace in the region. They said it was a long standing demand of the people of Malakand division which was fulfilled by the government.
Two women killed in Mardan
MARDAN: A former women councillor and a woman employee of an NGO were killed in separate incidents here on Thursday.
According to sources, an explosion caused by a home-made bomb planted in the office of the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) in the Hattian village killed Mumtaz Begum.
The NGO’s office was located in building belonging to a former MPA of the Awami National Party.
Local Taliban leader Habibur Rehman claimed responsibility for the attack. He accused NGOs of propagating obscenity and vulgarity and threatened further attacks.
In the other incident, armed men gunned down Shaheen Bibi, a former councillor of the Union Council Gujjar Garhi.
A number of terrorist attacks have taken place in Hattian, Shergarh, Lund Khwar and Takhtbai areas of Mardan in recent days and a number of girl schools, police stations, security posts, music centres and cellphone towers have been targeted.
Meanwhile, three employees of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) were kidnapped in Kohat.
Police said that armed men intercepted an OGDCL vehicle near a camp set up by the company for soil testing and whisked the three away to the nearby mountains.
The kidnappers left behind their van and drove away in the company vehicle which was later found abandoned near the Nakband village. Those kidnapped were identified as Mohammad Arif, Qamar Hasnain Naqvi and their driver Mohammad Khan.
Police mounted a search but by that time the kidnappers had reportedly crossed over into the tribal areas.
Taliban refuse to quit Doog Darra in Upper Dir
UPPER DIR: Militants living in Doog Darra of Upper Dir district did not leave the area on Wednesday after the expiry of deadline set for them by the administration and a jirga of local elders, sources said.
Taliban sources said that they were not ready to leave the area under pressure of elders and police but would rather wait for the weather to improve to move out from the area.
Local residents said that militants had made a similar promise in February but they continued to live in the area against the wishes of local population. The sources, however, did not give a specific time for their withdrawal from the area.
It may be mentioned that the presence of the militants, allegedly led by Afghan nationals, has been the source of tension in the district since February. On April 1, five policemen including two senior officers were killed near Sheringal town. Militants were blamed for the attack.
The peaceful efforts of the elders for the last two months to convince militants to leave the area have not yielded positive results so far. Several deadlines were set by the elders but action was avoided each time in a bid to resolve the issue amicably.
The administration set April 13 as deadline for them to leave the area but on the request of the local elders it was extended to April 15. However, militants refused to vacate the area under supervision of local elders or police.
The trust deficit and hostility between the elders and militants, developed in February when the former forced the latter to release a former Afghan government official, were main reasons for the refusal of Taliban to leave the area.============================
Thursday, 16 Apr, 2009 | 06:49 AM PST
Taliban to take ‘struggle’ to new areas
ISLAMABAD, April 15: Pakistani Taliban will not lay down their arms in a northwestern valley as part of a deal that included the introduction of sharia law but will take their “struggle” to new areas, a militant spokesman said on Wednesday.Details of the deal have not been made public but government officials backing the pact have said part of it was that militants would give up their arms.
However, a Pakistani Taliban spokesman in the Swat valley said they would be keeping their guns.
“Sharia doesn’t permit us to lay down arms,” Muslim Khan said by telephone. “If a government, either in Pakistan or Afghanistan, continues anti-Muslim policies, it’s out of the question that Taliban lay down their arms.”
The government has struggled to come up with an effective strategy to counter terrorism, alternating in different areas between military offensives and peace deals.
Some Taliban fighters last week moved out of Swat and into Buner district, only 100km from Islamabad, and Mr Khan said his men would push into new areas.
“When we achieve our goal at one place, there are other areas where we need to struggle for it,” he said. Militants infiltrated into Swat in 2007 from strongholds on the Afghan border to the west to support a radical cleric.
Mr Khan said militants would go to Afghanistan to fight US-led forces if Afghan Taliban called for help.
“Our struggle is for a cause and that’s to enforce Allah’s rule on Allah’s land. We will send mujahideen to Afghanistan if they demand them,” he said.
One security analyst, retired Brigadier Syed Mehmood Shah, said peace could be found if the government disarmed the militants: “The agreement should be given a chance.” But another said the Swat militants were part of an expanding network.—Reuters
Sharia law enforced in Malakand
PESHAWAR, April 15: The NWFP governor promulgated on Wednesday the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation of 2009, providing for appointment of Qazis and restoration of the executive magistracy system in the Malakand division and Kohistan.The regulation replaces the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation of 1999, which had been in force in Malakand and some other Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
The new law will apply to Pata, except for the tribal area adjoining Mansehra district and the former state of Amb.
Regular courts have not been functioning in Swat since March 17 when they were stopped from taking up cases by Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad.
The regulation defines Sharia as injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran, Sunnah, Ijma (consensus view) and Qias (analogy) and requires a Qazi or an executive magistrate to seek guidance from the same sources.
According to the new law, the conduct and character of a judicial officer and executive magistrate should conform to Islamic principles and he should decide all cases in accordance with Sharia.
The regulation envisages two appellate forums: Darul-Darul Qaza and Darul Qaza, which would operate in Malakand region.
Darul-Darul Qaza would be equivalent to the Supreme Court and Darul Qaza would have appellate jurisdiction similar to that of a high court.
The Darul Qaza would be constituted under Article 198(4) of the Constitution which deals with the appellate jurisdiction of high courts, and the Darul-Darul Qaza would function under Article 183(2) of the Constitution, dealing with the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
An Ilaqa Qazi should be a duly appointed judicial officer in the province but preference should be given to judicial officers who have completed Sharia courses from a recognised institution.
The Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation also repeals the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance of 2001 and revives the executive magistracy, including the district magistrate, additional district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate and other executive magistrates. The system was abolished on Aug 14, 2001.
An executive magistrate would be empowered to deal with cases which carry a jail term of up to three years under the Pakistan Penal Code, like breach of peace and public nuisance and cases relating to deviation of licences and permits.
The law also abolishes the offices of Muavin-i-Qazi (assistant to qazi) and Aalim Wakeel, provided in the 1999 regulation. Both officials used to guide the Qazi courts in Malakand on Shariah issues.
The regulation also focuses on speedy disposal of cases.
Qazis would now be bound to decide a civil case within six months and a criminal case within four months. Any Qazi who fails to comply with the schedule would be censured and adverse remarks will be entered in his service record if he receives three letters in a year.
According to the new law, the number of pending cases before Zila Qazi, Izafi Zila Qazi and district magistrate should not exceed 150. The maximum number of cases pending before Aala Ilaqa Qazis (senior civil judge), Ilaqa Qazis and executive magistrates should be 200.
If pending cases exceed the court’s capacity, the provincial government will be required to set up new courts.
The First Schedule of the Regulation enlists 94 laws which will apply to the Malakand region and Kohistan.
Apart from the appellate courts, there will be five categories of courts: the court of zila Qazi (district and sessions judge); Izafi Zila Qazi (additional district and sessions judge); Aala Ilaqa Qazi (senior civil judge); Ilaqa Qazi (civil judge) and executive magistrate.
The regulation also provides a mediation mechanism. Subject to mutual consent of the parties concerned, any civil or criminal case may be referred by a court to a Musleh (mediator) or Musleheen (mediators) before recording evidence. However, cases under the Hudood laws or those against the state cannot be referred to mediators.Malakand division includes seven districts – Swat, Buner, Shangla, Chitral, Malakand, Upper Dir and Lower Dir.
The promulgation of the regulation had been due since last year when its first draft was prepared by the caretaker government and further steps were taken when the coalition government of the ANP and PPP was set up in the province after last year’s general elections.
Altaf blames NWFP govt for Charsadda attack
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday held the Awami National Party-led NWFP government and all those MNAs who had favoured the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation responsible for the suicide attack on a police check post in Charsadda.
In a statement issued from London, he said the attack proved that the so-called peace agreement between the ANP government and ‘barbaric’ Taliban was not for peace and security but for terrorism, murder and mayhem.
Mr Hussain appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and judges of the superior judiciary to take a suo motu notice of the attack and order registration of an FIR against the provincial government and all those parliamentarians who had supported the ‘murder and mayhem agreement’.
He said that despite being in the government, his party had strongly condemned the signing of the murder and mayhem agreement and appealed to moderates to raise their voice against the agreement. He expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of lives in the attack.
=====================================
Wednesday, 15 Apr, 2009
Kabul fears Swat deal may affect security
Afghanistan, fighting its own insurgency against the Taliban, has long worried that success by the Taliban in Pakistan could embolden the militants on both sides of the border.
“Since any deal with terrorist groups can have effects on the security of our own country and people, we ask the country of Pakistan to take into consideration the issue of security and its side-effects on relations between the two countries,” Afghan presidential spokesman Humayun Hamidzada told a news briefing.
“We do not interfere in Pakistan’s internal affairs,” Mr Hamidzada said. However there were concerns that “dealing with terrorists and handing over parts of one country to terrorists could have dire consequences in the long term”, he said. —Agencies
Militants enjoy immunity from law: TNSM
The assertion highlights the dilemma facing the government as it seeks to halt 18 months of bloodletting in the Swat Valley while convincing the nation, and the West, that it is not capitulating to militants.
Asked on Tuesday in a television interview whether the new courts would hear complaints from Swat residents about Maulana Fazlullah or his followers, Sufi Mohammad said they could not.
“’We intend to bury the past,”’ the TNSM chief told the ARY channel, sitting off-screen. “’Past things will be left behind and we will go for a new life in peace.”
Asked if the Taliban would enjoy such immunity, an NWFP minister only pleaded for calm so that peace could take hold.
“Everyone should understand what we have gone through and what kind of hardship people in Swat have suffered,” Wajid Ali Khan said. “’We can look into any disputes and controversy at some later stage.”
A spokesman for the Taliban said the militants would cooperate if the law was quickly implemented. “The world will see how much peace and prosperity comes to this region,” Muslim Khan said.
Sufi Mohammad said his followers would tour all districts of Malakand, including Buner, to “ensure peace”.
He also said the courts would interpret civil rights according to Islamic strictures.
“Women will have full protection and rights under Sharia. They will live a better life _ but behind the veil,” he said. —Agencies
Our Correspondent in Mingora adds: The Swat Taliban have ‘banned’ display of weapons in bazaars, urban areas and even their Imamdheri centre, saying there is no need of taking up arms if ‘Shariat’ is enforced in letter and spirit.
The decision was taken on an appeal of Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told journalists.
He said the Taliban had achieved their goal and they were ready to cooperate for quick implementation of the Nizam-i-Adl regulation.
The spokesman praised President Asif Ali Zardari and members of the National Assembly for their quick decision about the regulation.
He expressed the hope that the law would soon be implemented in letter and spirit.
Our Correspondent in Batkhela adds : Talking to Dawn at the TNSM headquarters in Amandara, Sufi Mohammad said there was no justification of Taliban activities in Malakand region after the ‘enforcement of Shariat’.
He said the Taliban should stop their activities and all decisions would now be taken by qazi courts.
Govt shrugs off Sharia row in NA
ISLAMABAD: The government shrugged off controversy over the enforcement of Sharia in the Malakand division of the North West Frontier Province as the National Assembly received a flurry of private bills on Tuesday, a day after the house voted to appease the terror-stricken region’s militants.
While eight bills were introduced and as many deferred for various reasons, most attention was focused on the 24 seats of the government ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the 342-seat house that remained empty for the day because of an apparent protest over Monday’s vote that asked President Asif Ali Zardari to approve a controversial Sharia regulation to secure a provincial government’s peace deal with the militants of Swat valley.
The MQM law-makers stayed away from the house to be in Karachi power base to ponder their future in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led coalition as the government said the president had authorised NWFP governor Owais Ghani to enforce the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009 in the troubled area.
The president had signed the regulation on Monday night soon after the National Assembly vote on a government-moved resolution, which was boycotted by the MQM but which won a unanimous support from all the other parties ranging from the left-of-centre PPP, right-wing Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan Muslim League-Q, left-wing and nationalist Awami National Party and hardline religious Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam.
An outburst from a prominent but estranged PPP member confirmed differences within the ruling party over the issue though none of its law-makers dared to say no to Monday’s presidential move that seemed aimed to share blame with all the parties in case the peace deal is flouted by the militants blamed for committing atrocities like massacring their opponents, prohibiting women from education and work, and banning music and shaving of beard.
But government seemed to ignore the fears voiced by its former information and broadcasting minister Sherry Rehman about what she called the shadow of wrongs done to women and men of Swat being cast over the whole country.
Speaking on a point of order, she said the ANP, which leads the NWFP’s coalition government with PPP, should be asked how it would guarantee the executive authority would not be exercised by ‘non-state actors’ like militants whom security forces had failed to eliminate.
She wanted to know the fate of an adjournment motion she had file for a debate on the reported Taliban public flogging of a 17-year-old women for going out of her house with her father-in-law as shown in a video-tape aired by several private television channels, whose authenticity was questioned by the provincial government.
‘Who will protect the people there?’ she asked and said: ‘The problem is that where is writ of your state.’
Ms Rehman, who was regarded as a person of considerable influence in the government before she resigned as minister and PPP information secretary last month to protest over alleged interference in her ministry by some other ministers, had to struggle for time put her views across while Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi tried to cut her short as she called for admission of her adjournment motion.
Even Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan offered her no comfort, saying the matter she called a ‘key issue’ could not be raised through a point of order.
CAPITAL SECURITY CRACKDOWN
In
a related development, several members from the NWFP from both the
opposition and the ruling coalition complained Pashtuns from their
province were being particularly targeted in a security crackdown
launched in Islamabad and the adjoining Rawalpindi city against feared
terrorist attacks.
Former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and PML-Q member Humayun Khan Saifullah said police were harassing Pashtuns visiting or living in the two cities while a PPP member from the NWFP, Noor Alam Khan, said even parliamentarians were being subjected to humiliating searches of their vehicles.
Minister of State for Interior Tasnim Qureshi said police had orders to question only ‘suspicious’ people and not disturb ‘gentlemen’ but he promised to inform the house further after getting a report about the situation in a day or two.
Some of the eight private bills introduced in the house and referred to the concerned standing committee sought to restrict re-employments in government and semi-government departments and government-controlled autonomous bodies, amend the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Act of 1992, amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, extend certain facilities to children involved in criminal litigation, and amend the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Ordinance of 2002.
Others sought to enact a charter of child rights to promote an enabling environment free of violence, abuse and exploitation, further amend the Code of Civil Procedure, and further amend the Code of Criminal Procedure.
NEW HEALTH POLICY COMING
Health
Minister Mir Aijaz Jakhrani told the house a new health policy of the
government would be unveiled at the end of April or in the beginning of
the next month and that it would tackle more efficiently matters like
the manufacture of ‘spurious and sub-standard medicines’, which 11
members complained in a motion was happening on a large scale.
He said the policy draft had already been sent to members of standing committees on health in both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Swat Taliban refuse to lay down arms
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban will not lay down their arms in a northwestern valley as part of a deal that included the introduction of sharia law but will take their 'struggle' to new areas, a militant spokesman said on Wednesday.
President Asif Ali Zardari, under pressure from conservatives, signed a regulation on Monday imposing sharia law in the Swat valley to end Taliban violence.
The strategy of appeasement has alarmed US officials, while critics say the government has demonstrated a lack of capacity and will to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Details of the deal have not been made public but government officials backing the pact have said part of it was that militants would give up their arms.
But a Pakistani Taliban spokesman in the scenic valley, a one-time tourist destination 125 km northwest of Islamabad, said they would be keeping their guns.
'Sharia doesn't permit us to lay down arms,' Muslim Khan said by telephone. 'If a government, either in Pakistan or Afghanistan, continues anti-Muslim policies, it's out of the question that Taliban lay down their arms.'
Some Taliban fighters last week moved out of Swat and into Buner district, only 100 km from Islamabad, and Khan said his men would push into new areas.
'When we achieve our goal at one place, there are other areas where we need to struggle for it,' he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-Shariat-i-Muhammdi, which Sufi Mohammad heads, announced a public rally in Mingora on April 19, DawnNews reported.
Sufi Mohammad said the rally is ‘intended to appreciate the sincere efforts and cooperation of the government which has ensured the enforcement of Sharia.’
He reiterated that laws under the Nizam-i-Adl regulation will be tailored for the common man and will provide amnesty to militants.
He further said ‘the decisions of Qazi courts will not be allowed to be challenged in any other court of the country, including the Supreme Court.’
The TNSM Chief asked the people of Swat to work together with the government to maintain peace in the region and praised the Awami National Party for its efforts in implementing the Sharia regulation.
Militants infiltrated into Swat in 2007 from strongholds on the Afghan border to the west to support cleric Sufi Mohammad.
Khan said militants would go to Afghanistan to fight US-led forces if Afghan Taliban called for help.
'Our struggle is for a cause and that's to enforce Allah's rule on Allah's land. We will send mujahideen to Afghanistan if they demand them,' he said.
One security analyst, retired Brigadier Syed Mehmood Shah, said peace could be found if the government disarmed the militants: 'The agreement should be given a chance.'
But another said the Swat militants were part of an expanding network.
'There is no comprehensive counter-insurgency strategy from the military or government. They are not taking it seriously,' said Khadim Hussain of the Aryana Institute think-tank.
US says Swat deal infringes on rights
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the Obama administration believed that “solutions involving security in Pakistan don’t include less democracy and less human rights”.
“The signing of that denoting strict Islamic law in the Swat valley goes against both of those principles.
“We are disappointed the parliament did not take into account legitimate concerns around civil and human rights.”—AFP
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Tuesday, 14 Apr, 2009 | 07:56 AM PST |
‘Women will have full protection and rights under Sharia. They will live a better life _ but behind the veil,’ he said.
==============================
Monday, 13 Apr, 2009 | 02:45 AM PST
ISLAMABAD, April 12: The government has announced that it will table
the Nizam-i-Adl regulation 2009 in the National Assembly on Monday to
seek legislators’ opinion if it should be approved by President Asif
Ali Zardari.
According to a handout, the president forwarded the regulation to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with the advice that he might consider placing it before parliament for debate.
“It will be presented before the National Assembly on Monday and a debate on it will start the same day,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan said.
Besides the clerics of Swat, the NWFP government has also been demanding enforcement of the regulation since the signing of a peace deal with the banned Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM).
Under the deal, the TNSM promised to persuade Taliban to stop terrorist activities, and the Frontier government pledged to introduce religious laws in the Malakand division.
The federal government has linked enforcement of the laws with restoration of peace.
The government accuses the TNSM of having failed to persuade the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to stop terrorist attacks.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said recently that the federal government had accepted Sufi Mohammad’s demand to end military operation in the region and now the Taliban must lay down arms in accordance with the agreement.
Meanwhile, reacting to the president’s move to refer the regulation to the prime minister for a debate in the National Assembly, the Awami National Party (ANP), the ruling party in the Frontier province, threatened to reconsider its support for the Pakistan People’s Party at the centre if the regulation was not enforced.
NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain told a TV channel that President Zardari was empowered to approve the Nizam-i-Adl regulation, but he had sent it to parliament.
“If it was necessary to send the document to parliament, the ANP should have been taken into confidence,” he said.
Controversy over the proposed law intensified after a video showing the flogging of a teenage girl was aired by TV channels. The NWFP government termed it a move to sabotage the peace deal.
PPP information secretary Fauzia Wahab said the president’s decision was in line with his vision about supremacy of parliament.
In Peshawar, the ANP said it had been agreed that the president would sign the regulation when peace returned to Swat.
“After the Feb 16 agreement between the provincial government and Maulana Sufi Mohammad, head of the TSNM, a ceasefire was declared, followed by a gradual return of peace. Now, with the establishment of a comparatively peaceful situation, we owe it to the people of Malakand to give them Nizam-i-Adl. The provincial government has already sent the draft regulation to the presidency through the governor,” said a resolution passed by the party’s consultative committee at a meeting presided over by its acting president Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel.
It said precious time had already been wasted and any further delay in the signing of the regulation could undermine the peace process.
“If violence erupts again in Malakand division it will lead to a catastrophe in our region,” it said.
“We are not opposed to taking every piece of legislation to parliament. As a matter of principle, we are in favour of amending the Constitution to enable parliament to legislate for both Pata and Fata. But in the present case, time is of the essence and the Constitution permits the president of Pakistan to sign the regulation. “Therefore, we demand that Nizam-i-Adl Regulation should be signed by the president on an urgent basis. We also request our party leadership to reconsider the decision to remain part of the coalition government in case of further delay in the signing of the law. We assure the people of the province in general and of the Malakand division in particular that the ANP will stand firmly for their right to live in peace.
“We shall take all political parties in the province into confidence in the near future about the latest development.
“We give our leader Asfandyar Wali Khan full authority to take the final decision.”
BUNER, April 12: The Taliban from Swat, who have taken a number of
areas in Buner, are converting mosques in Buner into recruitment
centres to urge youths to join their ranks.
Almost all mosques in Sultanwas, Pacha, Bhai Kaly, Malkpur, Kalakheelam, Jure, Bagra, Manyarai and Gokand are being used by them to recruit local people to their cause of enforcing Sharia in the Malakand division and eventually in the rest of the country.
On Sunday, militants took villages in Chamla tehsil under their ‘protection’ and faced no resistance from law-enforcement agencies.
“We are in touch with their (Taliban) leaders in Swat. The situation will return to normal in a few days,” Buner DCO Jawed Ahmad said, adding that local people had entered into an agreement with the Taliban in Swat through a trible elders’ council.
He said: “We are pursuing a policy of restraint. Even a minor mistake can derail the government’s peace initiative. These Taliban are peaceful. Till now they have not harmed anyone in the district.”
He denied that the Swat Taliban were recruiting youths in Buner.
But a local police official told this correspondent that the Taliban were trying and had already won over quite a number of them.
“I fear that they will have a sizeable force in a few days and will announce formation of their organisation in Buner,” he added.
Maulana Khalil, a leader of the Swat Taliban, addressed a congregation in a mosque in Malakpur village where he was welcomed by Maulana Minhajuddin and Maulana Tajur Rehman of Ishaat Al Sunnah wal-Tauheed and a large number of locals here.
He urged the local youth to come forward and shoulder the responsibility for enforcing Shariah in their areas.
Local people, meanwhile, are trying to adjust their lifestyles in accordance with the Taliban code.
A large number of them met the Taliban at Pir Baba’s shrine in Sultanwas, which is being used by the militants as the base of their operation in Buner.
Apart from the shrine of Pir Baba, Taliban have set up bases in Pacha Bazaar, Sultanwas, Bagra, Manyarai and Gokand.
Separately, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan Monday warned that lawmakers who do not support a peace deal with the Taliban which involved the imposition of Islamic law in Swat and Malakand will be considered apostates.
Khan did not say whether the Taliban would punish legislators opposing the deal other than to say a militant council would discuss the matter. Apostasy, or abandoning Islam, is a serious charge that in some quarters carries the death penalty.
The provincial government in northwest Pakistan agreed in February to impose Islamic law in the Swat Valley and surrounding areas in exchange for a cease-fire with Taliban fighters who have terrorized the area for some 18 months, killing hundreds.
But President Asif Ali Zardari has delayed signing the agreement. The federal government said over the weekend that he wanted opinions from members of Parliament first. A floor debate was expected later Monday, though it was not clear whether lawmakers would vote on the issue.
The deal is unpopular in the west and among many Pakistanis, who consider it a surrender to the militants.
Zardari's delay has angered northwestern Pakistan's leaders, who say an Islamic legal system meets the demands of local residents for a more efficient legal system and is the best hope for ending the bloodshed in Swat.
Zahid Khan, information secretary for the Awami National Party, which leads the provincial government, warned that it will review its alliance with Zardari's party if the delays continue.
'We are not against taking up the issue in Parliament, but this is not constitutionally needed,' Zahid Khan said. 'The president has the power to do it on his own, and he must do it to avoid any worsening of situation in Swat.'
Muslim Khan also noted Zardari did not need guidance from lawmakers but said he would not be opposed to a debate as a way 'to relieve the foreign external pressure.'
'If there is any opposition in the assembly to this regulation, then we will know who are the true Muslims and who are the apostates,' the Taliban spokesman said.
==============================
Sunday, 12 Apr, 2009 | 04:08 AM PST
Swat deal’s fate to be decided by parliament: PM
MULTAN, April 11: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said on
Saturday that the Swat peace agreement would be presented in parliament
for a debate.
He was talking to journalists after performing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Multan Airport’s up-gradation.
“Parliament is a proper forum for it (Swat agreement) and let people’s representatives decide about the fate of this agreement as parliament is the final decision-making institution,” the prime minister said.
He said that everybody, including President Asif Ali Zardari, wanted the parliament to take a decision on the Swat agreement as peace in the area was linked with this agreement.
He said that Swat used to be an independent state in the past and it had its own customs and traditions. He said people of the area wanted a system of speedy justice and late PPP leader Benazir Bhutto had also given incentives to them when she was prime minister.
In reply to a question about the US aid, Mr Gilani said Pakistan would not compromise on its sovereignty and integrity and would not accept any condition attached to the aid as it was being given to Pakistan because of its role as a frontline state in the war on terror.
He said Pakistan wanted friendly relations with all neighbouring countries including India, Iran and Afghanistan, and all efforts were being made for the purpose.
In reply to a question about PML-N rejoining the federal cabinet, Mr Gilani said that he had met Mian Shahbaz Sharif and conveyed the message of PPP’s co-chairman to him and the PPP would respect whatever decision was taken by the PML-N.
Mr Gilani said he would be able to comment on the issue after his meeting with PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif.
“Mian Nawaz Sharif is doing positive politics and the media should avoid criticising him.”
On the assassination of three Baloch leaders, the prime minister said it was an extremely condemnable act, but people should wait for a report of a judicial commission formed by the government.
In reply to a question about drone attacks in Balochistan, Mr Gilani said that the government had made it clear that Islamabad would not accept drone attacks in the province as these attacks were already undermining government efforts to promote peace in Fata and other areas.
About arrest of some Pakistani students in Britain, the prime minister said he was not in a position to comment at this stage as the matter was still under investigation.
Referring to wheat position, he said he would soon convene a meeting of all chief ministers to formulate a uniform policy for the benefit of poor farmers instead of middlemen.
Earlier, addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Multan Airport’s up-gradation, he said the move would not only help improve travel facilities for the people of this area, but would also help earn foreign exchange through the export of mango, vegetables and other goods.
The first phase of the project would be completed at a cost of Rs4.6 billion.
BATKHELA / MINGORA, April 11: Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM)
chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad refused on Saturday to hold talks with the
government and said he would not meet any government representative
till the signing of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by President Asif Ali
Zardari and its enforcement in Malakand.
Talking to Dawn at a protest camp set up in Amandara, the TNSM chief said he would not hold any meeting with the prime minister either, adding that the Tehrik had signed the peace agreement with the provincial government on the condition that Islamic laws would be enforced in the region.
He criticised a statement of Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik that the president would not sign the regulation till complete restoration of peace in Swat and other areas.
He said the TNSM would be responsible for maintaining peace in the region only if the government enforced Sharia in letter and spirit and set up Qazi courts.
Talking to various delegations which called on him at the camp, Sufi said the only objective of the TNSM was enforcement of Sharia in Malakand.
JIRGA-TALIBAN MEETING: The Swat Qaumi Aman Jirga and the Taliban have agreed to jointly work for lasting peace and enforcement of Sharia in the valley.
According to sources, the decision was taken during a two-hour meeting between the jirga delegation led by its chief Syed Inamur Rehman and Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah held at an unspecified place on Saturday.
The two sides discussed the situation and enforcement of Sharia in Malakand and Inamur Rehman claimed that they had made headway in talks.
Maulana Fazlullah told the jirga that the Swat Taliban had rendered many sacrifices for enforcement of Sharia. “We have no personal agenda. We only want Shariat-i-Muhammadi enforced.”
The Maulana said the Taliban would not demand any compensation for the losses they had suffered during the struggle for Sharia. The Taliban commander also directed his men to remain peaceful and respect the agreement.
The jirga members also held talks with the TNSM leadership and military authorities.
BUNER, April 11: The Taliban on Saturday night agreed to vacate the Pir
Baba’s shrine and a gradual return of their men from the district.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Malakand Commissioner Mohammed Jawed, Awami Jirga representative Hamidur Rehman, Taliban commander, Buner DCO Jawed Khan and DPO Abdul Rasheed.
A committee was formed to assess the damage caused to the shrine and other buildings when the Taliban took their control.
It was agreed that the Taliban belonging to Buner would stay in the areas.
Earlier, it may be mentioned, the Taliban extended their control to five union councils in Buner.
The Taliban, who closed the main entrance to Pir Baba’s shrine on Friday, held talks with the khateeb of the mosque adjacent to the shrine, Mufti Humayun Rasheed Silavi, and successor of the sufi saint Syed Hussain Shah.
The Taliban said they were closing down the shrine and deployed 10 heavily-armed men to keep visitors away from the shrine.
They asked the khateeb and the shrine’s caretakers to leave the place.
A source close to the Taliban said the militants were considering converting the mosque into a Sharia court.
The Taliban have extended their patrolling from Gokand to the Pir Baba area.
Local people said that militants visited nearby villages of Pacha, Ghazi Khanay, Bhai and Kalakhela and took over mosques in those areas. They urged people to follow their example.
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Saturday, 11 Apr, 2009 | 02:27 AM PST
BUNER, April 10: Instead of pulling out of Buner as they had announced
on Thursday, the Taliban of Swat moved on Friday to consolidate their
hold and took control of new areas, including the shrine of Sufi saint
Pir Baba. Security forces offered no resistance.
“They have taken control of vast areas in Buner. They are freely moving around while police and other law-enforcement personnel remain confined to their posts,” said a man who lives near the shrine of Pir Baba. He said that the militants had earlier announced that they would leave after holding a march in various areas.
Local people said that the militants, who occupied houses of influential people organising an anti-Taliban lashkar, were still patrolling the road leading to Daggar, the district headquarters.
The tribal elderswhose houses have been occupied included Syed Ahmed Khan, his cousins Mah Muneer Khan and Afsar Khan, the nazim of the Gadezai union council.
Militants set on fire TV sets, pictures and paintings and audio and video cassettes before the Friday prayers. They locked the shrine, stopping followers of Pir Baba from visiting the place. They also delivered sermons in village mosques. “We have been asked by our seniors not to interfere with the Taliban,” said an officer of the Pir Baba police station. He said that the Taliban had advanced weapons, some of which he had “never seen before”.
He said that so far they had not harmed anyone. “Their prime targets have already fled.” A spokesman for militants in Sultanwas announced that people who had fled the area should return to their homes, but said those who had taken up arms against them would not be spared.
Local people said that the militants had met hundreds of local people, especially the youths, who remained with them the whole day.
The Taliban were also seen patrolling areas near Bhai Killey and Ghazikhanay and were using vehicles they had captured.
An official at the commissioner’s office in Saidu Sharif said on late Thursday night after talks with a peace mission that Taliban had agreed to leave Buner.
However, sources privy to the talks between the militants, administration officials and a local jirga headed by Maulana Waliullah Kalbalgrami, said that no agreement had been reached. He said they had been allowed to “go anywhere” in Buner they wanted to.
BATKHELA, April 10: The provincial task force on Swat and
representatives of the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi held two
rounds of talks in Amandara on Friday and agreed to keep the peace
process in the valley intact.
However, TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who had brokered a peace deal between the NWFP government and the Taliban on Feb 16, refused to meet the task force and said he would not meet any government delegation till the signing of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by President Asif Ali Zardari and its enforcement in Malakand and Kohistan.
The government’s task force included provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed and Swat DCO Khushdil Khan.
The TNSM was represented by its Naib Ameer Maulana Mohammad Alam, spokesman Amir Izzat Khan, Maulana Safiullah, Maulana Syed Wahab, Ghias Uddin, Latif Khan and Multan Mir.
Sufi Mohammad wound up his peace camp in Mingora on Thursday and he had taken the decision because of president’s failure to enforce Islamic law in Swat.
Although Qazi courts started functioning last month, the president has linked the signing of the law to complete restoration of peace in Swat.
According to sources, the two sides tried to address each other’s reservations in the closed-door meeting and agreed to work jointly to save the peace agreement from collapsing.
Information Minister Mian Iftikhar told reporters after the meeting that talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and the two sides agreed to maintain the peace accord. “The peace deal is intact and will remain intact.”
He said the provincial government was sincere about enforcement of Sharia and implementation of the agreement reached with the TNSM leadership.
He said that some elements were out to sabotage the agreement, but “we will not let them succeed in their nefarious designs”.
Mr Iftikhar said the provincial government was in contact with the presidency and expressed the hope that the president would sign the regulation soon. He said the president and the prime minister had been consulted before the signing of the accord.
He said that Qazi courts with full powers would be set up in Malakand.
Mr Iftikhar said that peace had been restored in about 70 per cent of Swat and urged all political and religious forces to help the government in its efforts.
TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat said the peace agreement had been signed with the NWFP government and “we will abide by it”.
He said the TNSM had not ended the agreement and would continue its efforts to maintain peace in the region.
“We have not backed out of the peace pact. We have only wound up our peace camp which has nothing to do with the agreement.”
He said the law and order situation in Swat was better than in other areas of the country and it would improve if President Zardari signed the regulation.
In reply to a question, he said: “We have not asked the Taliban to take up arms, but the government would be held responsible for any resurgence of violence in Swat.”
================================
Friday, 10 Apr, 2009 | 08:39 AM PST |
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Thursday, 09 Apr, 2009 | 03:58 AM PST
BUNER, April 8: After consolidating their hold on
Swat, militants in the valley have ventured into the adjacent Buner
region and rejected calls by the local Qaumi Jirga to leave the
district.
The militants advanced from Gokand valley and occupied the village of Kalabatt, about two kilometres from Pacha Bazar, a police post in Bagra and a government school.
They have set up a base camp in the area at a place about just four kilometres from the district headquarters of Daggar.
The Taliban handed over the bodies of two Lashkar men and three police personnel they had killed in a clash on Tuesday to a third party after talks with prominent cleric Maulana Waliullah Kabalgrami. They set on fire a number of houses and occupied the petrol pump owned by a leader of the Qaumi Lashkar.
A large number of people were seen leaving the village of Sultanwas.
Elders of a local jirga and officials of the district administration held talks with the Taliban through a reconciliatory committee also comprising leaders of Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi to persuade them to leave the area. But the militants said they had been told by the Tehrik-i-Taliban leadership to stay in the area.
A Taliban commander said they would leave the area after holding a peace march and visiting homes of six Taliban killed in a clash in Shalbandi.
Malakand commissioner Mohammad Javed Khan, Taliban commander Mehmood Khan, TNSM’s deputy chief Maulana Mohammad Alam and district chief Maulana Salar had visited Gokand on Tuesday but failed to resolve the crisis. They also held talks with Taliban commander Rizwan Bacha.
Sources said the Taliban had set up their headquarters in Buner and they were in no mood to leave the district.
As a last effort to avoid bloodshed, a delegation of local clerics led by Maulana Waliullah held talks with elders of the Quami Jirga at Madressah Taleem-ul-Quran in Daggar. The meeting continued till late in the night. Maulana Waliullah earlier had a meeting with Taliban commander Rizwan Bacha in Gokand.
Reuters adds: A Taliban commander said the Pakistani military and the United States were colluding in US drone attacks and militants would take their war to Islamabad in response.
“About 20 vehicles carrying Taliban entered Buner on Monday and started moving around the bazaar and streets,” said senior police officer Israr Bacha.
Villagers formed a lashkar to confront the Taliban and eight of the insurgents were killed in a clash on Tuesday, police said.
Two villagers and three policemen were also killed.
“People don’t like the Taliban,” Ghulam Mustafa, deputy chief of Buner, told Reuters by telephone.
Muslim Khan, a Taliban spokesman in Swat, was defiant.
“What law stops us going there?” he said. “Our people will go there and stay there as long as they want.”
==========
=================================
Wednesday, 08 Apr, 2009 | 05:03 AM PST
BUNER, April 7: Twenty-one people, including 16 Taliban fighters, were
killed in an overnight clash when local volunteers and police personnel
tried to enter the Gokand Valley to flush out militants who had sneaked
into the area on Saturday from the neighbouring Swat district.
Three policemen and two Lashkar men were among the dead.
When the combined force tried to enter the area via Rajagaly Kandow from the Pir Baba side and dislodge the militants, Taliban took position and refused to go back.
Members of a local jirga, including leaders of the Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), and officials of the district administration, formed a committee and tried to persuade Taliban to leave the area, offering them safe passage. But the militant commander said that he had been ordered to stay, hold a ‘peace march’ and visit Shalbandi to condole the deaths of six militants.
Some of the deceased were identified as Waseem Khan, Pir Mohammad Khan, ASI Afreen, constables Mohammad Akbar and Jehanzada.
Sources said that the militants had sent 16 bodies and taken 13 of their wounded colleagues to Swat via Kalil Kandow on Tuesday morning.
============================
Tuesday, 07 Apr, 2009 | 05:16 AM PST |
===============================
Saturday, 04 Apr, 2009 | 04:00 AM PST
ISLAMABAD, April 3: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has
described the recent flogging of a 17-year-old girl by Taliban in Swat
as a serious violation of fundamental rights and ordered the interior
secretary to bring the girl before his court on Monday.
Taking suo motu notice of the incident, the chief justice asked the chief secretary and police chief of the NWFP to appear in person.
Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain brought the incident to the notice of the chief justice on Friday after seeing an amateur video of the flogging aired by television channels.
“We do not know the exact venue of the incident and the circumstances in which the punishment by whipping was administered, but it certainly constitutes a serious violation of law and fundamental rights of the citizens of the country,” the chief justice said. He constituted an eight-judge bench headed by himself to hear the case on April 6.
Besides Chief Justice Iftikhar, the bench comprises Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Sardar Mohamamd Raza Khan, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed.
Notices were also issued to Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa, the NWFP advocate general and the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association.
The private TV channels which had shown the footage were ordered to submit a copy of the recording. The Geo, Aaj and Express channels were asked to jointly compile the video of the incident and make arrangements to display it before the court.
In his note to the chief justice, the registrar stated that he had watched the video in which the victim who was crying and screaming continuously was being whipped on the charge that she had gone out of her home with a ‘na-mahram’. The exact place where the incident had taken place was not mentioned. However, it appeared to be somewhere in Mingora or a village in Swat. Probably the news had also been released by foreign media, the registrar said, adding that it was a very cruel act which violated the fundamental rights and gave a very bad name to the country. The treatment was also in violation of Islamic norms and principles, he said.
“The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees fundamental rights of its citizens,” he said, adding that no person could be deprived of life or liberty without due process of law.
“The dignity of person is inviolable. No person can be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Punishment of whipping is prohibited by law. The incident, therefore, constitutes a serious violation of the Constitution/law,” the note said.
According to Article 247 of the Constitution, it said, the executive authority of the federation extended to the tribal areas, including the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
ISLAMABAD, April 3: A furore gripped the country on Friday after the
surfacing of video footage showing the flogging in public of a
17-year-old girl in Swat by Taliban.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered an inquiry.
Condemning the incident, he termed it a shameful happening which had tarnished the image of the country.
The whole episode was against the principles and teachings of Islam. “Islam teaches us to treat women politely,” the prime minister said in a statement. He said the government would take every possible measure to protect women’s rights.
Members of civil society and public representatives reacted strongly to the incident and expressed fears that such practices might spread to the rest of the country.
Television channels kept screening throughout the day the footage of the 17-year-old girl who was flogged 34 times in broad daylight, encircled by a crowd of local men.
The amateur video, apparently shot on a mobile phone, shows the girl, wearing a blue burqa, lying on the ground face down. Her legs, hands and head are held by two men and a third, bearded man wearing a turban is shown whipping her repeatedly.
After the first couple of lashes, the girl starts to scream loudly, but no one moves to help her. “Please, please,” she shouts in Pushto. “Stop it, please. For God’s sake, stop it, I am dying.”
A man off-camera is giving orders to his companions. “Hold her feet tightly. Lift her burqa a bit.”
The public flogging continued for several minutes, after which the wailing girl is dragged by a group of armed men to a nearby building.
The video shown by several news channels sent a wave of shock, anger and depression across the country.
Initially, some elements tried to downplay the significance of the flogging, saying it was not clear if it was a recent incident and even going to the extent of speculating that the incident had not taken place.
A leader of the Awami National Party, without mincing his words, said the video release was aimed at undermining the Swat peace agreement.
But Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told some TV channels that it was the work of Taliban. He termed the action justified, saying that the girl had been seen out of her house with a man who was not her husband and it was enough to punish her for what he said was an ‘un-Islamic’ act.
Several human rights and women’s groups accused the government of giving a free hand to extremist religious groups to enforce their own brand of Shariat in Swat and some other parts of northern Pakistan.
“We strongly condemn this barbaric and heinous crime and demand immediate action against those involved in this inhuman act,” the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus said in a statement.
The caucus secretary, Nafisa Shah, said neither Islam nor the Constitution allowed such acts. Instead, they protected the fundamental rights of women. She said the caucus would take up the issue in parliament and with the federal and provincial governments.
Several NGOs called for immediate action by the government.
Taking suo motu notice of the incident, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry termed it a serious violation of fundamental rights and ordered the interior secretary to present the victim before his court on Monday.
While NWFP minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat spokesman Muslim Khan claimed in the valley that the incident had taken place before the Feb 16 peace agreement, local people said it had taken place around two weeks ago at Kala Kalae, Kabal sub-district.
Both said the surfacing of the video footage was a conspiracy to sabotage the deal.
The militants claimed that the girl had an affair with a boy, but the version was challenged by a local social activist. He told Dawn by phone that a local boy had sent a proposal for marrying her, but her family turned it down.
The boy, who had vowed to avenge the refusal, later joined the militants.
On the day the purported flogging took place, a neighbour had been called to fix a fault in an electric power generator at the girl’s home. All of a sudden a number of militants forced their way into the house, dragging the girl out of her house.
Speaking at a press conference in Swat, provincial Minister Iftikhar Hussain said the incident had taken place on Jan 3, 45 days before the signing of the peace agreement.
He alleged that an NGO activist, Samar Minallah, had released the video as part of a conspiracy. He said her brother had been a provincial minister in the government of Gen Pervez Musharraf. “Where were these people when innocents were being slaughtered and bodies were pulled out of graves.”
The minister said the incident was condemnable and should be investigated, but at the same time flashing it several months after its occurrence raised suspicions.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the sentence of whipping could be awarded to both men and women under Shariat. He said the ‘sentence’ had been executed during ‘war time’.
Muslim Khan said the girl should have been stoned to death, but the Taliban had only flogged her because qazi courts had not been set up at the time.
He asked the media not to air the footage, saying it was a conspiracy against the peace deal.
A spokesman for Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi, Amir Izzat Khan, said the manner in which the sentence had been executed was against religious principles. In Lahore, rights activists and members of civil society said they would hold a peace rally on The Mall on Saturday to give a message to extremists that they would not be allowed to pursue their ‘nefarious designs’. They also condemned recent terrorist attacks in Lahore.
They urged people to stand against extremism in all forms because the governments and the army had failed to contain it.
Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, condemned the public flogging of the girl and said such terrorism and barbarity were intolerable.
She said that according to HRCP reports, the incident had taken place a month ago, not because the girl had committed adultery, but because her family had turned down a marriage proposal for her. She said the girl had gone out of her home with her father-in-law.
She accused the federal and provincial governments of succumbing to the terrorists and giving them a free hand to attack people and disgrace women. She said that by entering into a peace accord with Taliban, the government had left citizens at the mercy of extremists.
“The government has handed over Swat to those who have played with the lives of people. If they are really popular, why this was not reflected in the last general elections?” she wondered.
Ms Jahangir criticised the leaders who were claiming that peace had been restored in Swat. “Why don’t they take their families there and stay just for one week?”
In reply to a question about recent terrorist attacks, she said cricket players and police had nothing to with drone attacks.
Iqbal Haider, of the HRCP, said Gen (retd) Musharraf had signed six agreements with Taliban from 2003 to 2007. Two more agreements were signed afterwards, literally surrendering the state to the extremists.
He said there was no peace in Swat, girls were still not going to schools and people were being harassed.
President Asif Ali Zardari, who has yet to finally endorse the peace deal, condemned the flogging and called for the arrest of those responsible.
“The president was shocked over this act of barbarism and asked for a report from the government and local administration,” his spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif said in a statement that the incident was an open violation of the Constitution and tantamount to humiliation of humanity. He said the government should ensure suppression of such brutal happenings.
Muttahida chief Altaf Husain, deploring the whipping, called for punishing the perpetrators by death. He suggested that Sunday be observed as a black day to express outrage.
Briefing journalists in Naudero after a meeting of Pakistan People’s Party’s central executive committee, information secretary Fauzia Wahab called the incident barbaric.
Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik told reporters in Sukkur: “We are investigating the matter. But sometimes anti-state elements make fake or artificial footage or images to bring disrepute to Pakistan.”
Khawar Ghumman in Islamabad, Hameedullah Khan in Mingora, Waseem Ahmad Shah in Peshawar and Intikhab Hanif in Lahore contributed to the report.
==============================
Wednesday, 25 Mar, 2009 | 06:01 AM PST
MINGORA, March 24: TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad threatened on
Tuesday to wind up his peace camp if the government failed to
immediately enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation.
Addressing a press conference at the ‘grassy ground’ in Saidu Sharif, he said he was dissatisfied over what he called slow pace of implementation of the Swat peace accord and said that un-Islamic laws were in force in Malakand even 38 days after the signing of the agreement.The Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi chief said he supported the agreement but was not satisfied with the process of its implementation. “Judges have been replaced with Qazis. They are reforming the society, but are unable to issue orders or to get their decisions implemented.”
He said the TNSM and the NWFP government had signed the accord on February 16 to enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation and repeal all laws repugnant to Islam in the Malakand division and Kohistan district of Hazara, but un-Islamic laws were still being followed.
Answering a question, Sufi Mohammad said the agreement had not been signed with the federal government or with President Asif Zardari. It was signed with the NWFP government which would be held responsible for its failure.
He said there would be no lasting peace if Sharia was not implemented in the region.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people blocked the Mingora-Matta road for four hours in protest against deployment of security forces in government-run educational institutions.
The protesters were holding placards inscribed with the slogan, “We need schools, not checkposts”.
They said troops had been occupying schools in the area for two years. As a result, they said, thousands of students had been deprived of the opportunity to go to school.
They ended the roadblock after receiving assurance from the chief of the Swat peace jirga and tehsildar of Kabal that troops would vacate schools within three days.
=============================
Sunday, 22 Mar, 2009 | 05:16 AM PST
MINGORA, March 21: The authorities on Saturday
released six more Taliban prisoners, bringing the total number of
militants freed under the Swat peace agreement to 34.
Officials said that Mohammad Ghaffar, Wasiullah, Maulana Habibul Haq, Mohammad Rasheed, Mian Said Jaffar and Noorul Hadi were released from various jails.
The militants had been arrested during the military operation in Swat.
The sources said that more Taliban would be released in the next couple of days.
The provincial government and the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) signed an agreement recently to enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation for restoration of lasting peace in the valley.
Protest
Students of Government Jehanzeb College blocked Mingora-Saidu Sharif road in protest against what they described as non-remission of admission and examination fees.
The protesters said that authorities of educational institutions, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and the university were charging fees in violation of an announcement by the government that admission and examination fees would be waived.
The students called off the demonstration after Malakand Commissioner Syed Mohammad Javed assured them that their grievances would be looked into.
Man Kidnapped
Unidentified men kidnapped the son of a transporter in Mingora on Saturday. Shahid, son of Malik Iqbal Rawan, was on his way home when the assailants overpowered him and whisked him away.
============================
Saturday, 21 Mar, 2009 | 07:04 AM PST
MINGORA, March 20: The government released on Friday
16 militants to bolster the Swat peace accord reached with the Tehrik
Nizam-i-Shariat Muhammadi on Feb 16.
Noorul Hadi, brother of Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan, was among the militants freed on Friday.
The others were: Ayub Khan of Banjot, Delaram Khan of Shahdara, Anwar Hussain of Akber Hussain of Koza Bandai, Inayatur Rehman, Fazal Illahi and Zahir Shah of Ghurband, Muzaffar Khan of Sar Banda Matta, Rahmat Shah of Kanju, Munir Khan of Takhtaband, Gulzada of Gul Jabba, Omar Khan of Kanju, Saddam Hussain of Takhtaband , Mohammad Yaqub of Shah Dheri, Arsala Khan of Ogday Takhtaband and Sher Bahar of Charbagh.
The government is reported to have freed 28 militants so far.
Now that the main demand of the TNSM had been met, officials said the militants should lay down their arms and play their due role for restoring peace in the valley.
Meanwhile, Qazi courts have started functioning in seven tehsils of Swat. Over the past five days, 400 cases have been submitted in the courts, and 20 of them have been decided.
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Thursday, 19 Mar, 2009 | 05:14 AM PST
TIMERGARA, March 18: Four policemen and a watchman were killed when
armed men attacked a police van near the entrance of the Malakand
University in Chakdara in Lower Dir on Wednesday.
Official sources and eyewitnesses told Dawn that about a hundred armed men forced their way into the university premises at about 12.45am.
When watchmen tried to stop them, the assailants opened fire, injuring two of them.
A police party from Ouch reached the place but its van was hit by a rocket. Three policemen, ASI Azizullah, head constable Inayatullah and constable Adam Khan, were killed on the spot while driver of the van constable Nazir died in a hospital in Peshawar.
Watchmen Khaliq Dad died in Batkhela hospital.
Constables Rahmatullah and Wahid Zaman are under treatment in Peshawar.
The sources said the attackers who had come from Swat fled in two coaches of the university, leaving their pick-ups behind.
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Wednesday, 18 Mar, 2009 | 03:18 AM PST
PESHAWAR/MINGORA, March 17: Courts in the Swat valley stopped
functioning on Tuesday after Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief
Maulana Sufi Mohammad said that these courts were against Sharia and
their continued functioning would be a violation of the agreement
signed by the provincial government.
It is learnt that 16 judicial officers in Mingora, Swat district and sessions judge (zila qazi), Ayaz Khan; four additional district and sessions judges (izafi zila qazi) and 11 civil judges cum judicial magistrates (ilaqa qazi), did not hold their courts. The seven qazis posted recently in Swat on the directives of Maulana Sufi Muhammad heard cases. The qazis are: Pirzada Noor Muhammad Shah and Ihsanur Rehman at Babozai area; Rasool Shah and Sajadur Rehman at Kabal; Riaz Ali at Matta; Muhammad Rehman at Khwazakhela; and Umar Ali Khan at Bahrain.
On Monday, Maulana Sufi Muhammad had asked the judges not to come to their courts.
“The situation is alarming for us and we will take up the issue with the provincial government,” said a senior official at the Peshawar High Court.
He said that the high court had asked the judicial officers at Mingora to take appropriate measures about conducting judicial work keeping in view the situation. “We are worried about the safety of the judges performing duties there,” the official said.
However, the NWFP cabinet at a meeting held with Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti in the chair, expressed satisfaction over the situation in Swat.
It is learnt that Muhammad Rehman, the qazi posted at Khwazakhela, has given a judgment on a case.
In a civil dispute between two parties, the qazi directed the respondent to pay Rs17,000 to the applicant and said that Rs20,000 should be paid in four equal instalments.
Sufi Muhammad’s son Rizwanullah Khan told journalists that the judges had taken a wise decision not to attend the court. He said the NWFP government had agreed that Sharia would be the supreme law and the courts would function under it. “In sharia there is no room for courts functioning under English law,” he added.
The stoppage of work by regular judges has left lawyers without work. Although, judges came to the district courts, they remained idle throughout the day.
A lawyer told reporters that there were 362 active members in the Swat Bar Association, and if the situation persisted they would have to either abandon the profession or move to some other city.
He said that some lawyers had approached Maulana Sufi Muhammad and requested him to allow them to appear in the court. But the Maulana rejected their request and told them that their profession was against Sharia as they pleaded cases under the English law.
TNSM spokesman Ameer Izzat Khan expressed satisfaction over the decision to set up qazi court and said that it was the outcome of the two-year struggle of the people of Swat.
He said that Dar-ul-Qaza, the appellate forum, would soon start functioning. He added that qazi courts had started functioning and the people should cooperate with them.
Meanwhile Malakand’s Region Commissioner Syed Muhammad Jawed organised a flag march here to demonstrate the government’s resolve to restore its writ in the valley. The march passed through different areas and up to Khwazakhela.
In Peshawar, a meeting of the task force for enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in Malakand was held under the chairmanship of chief minister Ameer Haidar Khan Hoti.
The convener of the task force, ANP’s provincial president Senator Afrasiyab Khattak, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Arshad Abdullah, home secretary and secretary law attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the steps taken for the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl and expressed satisfaction over the situation in the valley. “The provincial government firmly adheres to the commitment made by it and for this purpose has been working sincerely,” Mr Hoti said. He expressed the hope that people’s reservations would be removed after the approval of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation by the president.
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Tuesday, 17 Mar, 2009 | 09:45 AM PST
http://dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/swat-sufi-asks-judges-to-keep-out-of-courts
PESHAWAR/MINGORA, March 16: The peace initiative launched by the NWFP
government in Swat faced fresh problems on Monday when Tehrik
Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad asked judicial
officers to stop coming to courts and said that any further court
proceedings would be in violation of the agreement signed by the
government.
Addressing a press conference in Mingora, the Maulana announced that the qazi courts would start functioning on Tuesday and, therefore, judges should stop functioning.
He said the three-member Darul Qaza (appellate forum) for the Malakand division would soon start functioning.
Sources said that Sufi Mohammad’s announcement would disturb the Peshawar High Court, whose judicial officers renamed as qazis were functioning in Swat, and also the provincial government which had held several rounds of talks with the TNSM for restoring peace in the valley.
Sufi Mohammad said that after Feb 16 when the provincial government signed a joint declaration with the TNSM, all decision made by the judges were illegal.
“On that date the normal courts ceased to exist in Malakand division and Kohistan and they are no longer empowered to decide cases,” the Maulana said.
The sources said the statement of Sufi Mohammad was against the stand taken by the government that regular judicial officers would continue to serve as qazis.
They said that the high court had earlier asked the provincial government to clarify the position of its judicial officers.
“We are not part of the agreement signed by the government and Maulana Sufi Mohammad and it is now up to the government to take a decision in this regard,” a senior official of the high court said.
He said that earlier the government had informed them that the existing judicial system would continue to function in the division.
He said that after Sufi Mohammad’s announcement they tried to contact government officials but could not reach them.
The official said the proposed Nizam-i-Adl Regulation was yet to be promulgated and even in the regulation the proposed Darul Qaza had to function under an article of the Constitution dealing with the high court.
The TNSM chief said he would himself examine judgments to be delivered by the qazis and if a verdict was found in conflict with Sharia the qazi concerned would be replaced.
He said that the qazi courts would be set up in phases in other districts of the division, including Upper and Lower Dir, Shangla, Buner, Chitral and Malakand.
About the approval to the summary of the proposed Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by the president, Sufi Mohammad said there was no need of promulgating the regulation because provisions about enforcement of Sharia were already there in the existing regulation (Sharia Nizam-i-Adl).
About Darul Qaza, which would be the first appellate forum against decisions of the qazi court, he said that former district and sessions judge Amir Gulab Khan and Maulana Shamsul Haq had been selected as qazis for Darul Qaza and the third member would be selected soon.
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Friday, 13 Mar, 2009 | 04:12 AM PST
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/mingora-qazis-take-charge-in-swat
MINGORA, March 12: The seven newly-posted qazis took charge of their respective offices in Swat valley on Thursday.
As part of another move towards peace in the region the NWFP government and Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) after thorough negotiations posted seven qazis in six tehsils of Swat to implement Nizam-i-Adl regulation.
The qazi courts in the six tehsils would be functional from Friday. The FC and police personnel also resumed their duties at police stations and other offices. The personnel would be deployed in different areas to implement government’s writ in the region.
The qazis were taken to their offices in a peace caravan of TNSM led by its chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad. Malakand division commissioner Mohammad Javed, DCO Khushal Khan, and DPO Dilawar Khan Bangash, and other officials were present on the occasion. Taliban leader commander Mehmood Khan, and peace jirga’s Syed Inamur Rehman and Engineer Sher Mohammad Shah and others participated in the caravan.
Qazi Pirzada Noor Mohammad Shah and Qazi Ihsanur Rehman were posted in Babozai tehsil (Mingora) Qazi Rasool Shah at Qazi Court tehsil kabal, Qazi Sajadur Rehman at tehsil Kabal, Qazi Riaz Ali at tehsil Matta, Qazi Mohammad Rehman at tehsil Khwazakhela, and Qazi Umar Ali Khan at Qazi Court tehsil Bahrain.
All the courts will start work from Friday and all cases registered from February 16 last would be conducted in accordance with Islamic Sharia and all conflicting laws would be considered annulled.
The cavalcade of Sufi Muhammad and qazis was left from Mingora to Barikot a large number local people on both sides of the road welcome them warmly.
Maulana Sufi Muhammad offered collective dua (prayer) after the shifting of the qazis to their respective offices. He expressed satisfaction over the whole process. The people of the area have welcomed the steps as a move forward for peace in the region.
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12 Taliban freed after deal with TNSM
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By Hameedulah Khan
MINGORA, March 7: The government claimed it had made a breakthrough when it handed over on Saturday 12 Taliban militants to Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and assured it that Qazi courts would be set up by March 13. In return Taliban said they would allow the reopening of all roads.
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Understanding reached with Sufi for Sharia enforcement
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, March 4: The government and the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi reached an understanding on Wednesday for enforcement of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand.
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Monday, 02 Mar, 2009 | 07:07 AM PST
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Swat peace deal comes under pressure: Sufi gives March 15 deadline
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, March 1: The Swat peace accord came under severe pressure on Sunday when TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad demanded appointment of qazis and release of prisoners by March 15 as two Frontier Corps soldiers were injured in an attack on their convoy and an FC commandant was kidnapped.
MINGORA, March 1: The Swat peace accord came under
severe pressure on Sunday when TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad
demanded appointment of qazis and release of prisoners by March 15 as
two Frontier Corps soldiers were injured in an attack on their convoy
and an FC commandant was kidnapped.
The chief of Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi said at a press conference that he was dissatisfied with the steps taken by the NWFP government.
The Maulana told newsmen that although the government had announced that the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation would be enforced in the Malakand division, the courts were still following un-Islamic laws.
He threatened to set up protest camps if the government did not enforce Sharia and the Taliban and the authorities did not release prisoners by March 15.
Immediately after the press conference, Malakand commissioner Syed Mohammad Jawed and Swat DCO Khushhal Khan held a meeting with Sufi Mohammad and reiterated the government’s commitment to enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation.
The commissioner announced that the TNSM chief himself would interview candidates for the posts of qazis to be appointed in the region before March 15.
He told newsmen he had received from the Maulana a list of prisoners who would be released in phases after scrutiny.
The commissioner’s statement about the appointment of qazis is a reversal of the stand taken by the provincial government that the qazis would be regular judicial officers, but in Malakand they would be called qazis.
On Saturday, however, TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat had said that his organisation was satisfied with the steps taken by the government.
Sufi Mohammad said that only those people would be appointed qazis who met the Sharia criteria, ‘in appearance, personal conduct and character’.
“Our basic objective is enforcement of Islamic Sharia,” he added.
He said that whoever violated the peace agreement, the government or the Taliban, would be held responsible in accordance with Sharia law.
Two FC soldiers were injured when a convoy transporting sick soldiers was attacked near Sirsanai area.
According to an FC press release, troops opened fire on militants after two bombs exploded near the convoy.
It called the attack a violation of the peace agreement and said security forces had urged the quarters concerned to rein in militants. The security forces were exercising maximum restraint, the press release added.
The district commandant of the Frontier Constabulary was kidnapped along with four guards and a driver in Kumbar area.
Official sources said commandant Ahsamuddin Khan was going to Mingora when the incident took place.
No one has claimed responsibility.
A few days ago, Swat DCO Khushhal Khan was taken away by militants from the same area. He was freed after a few hours.
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 24: The Taliban announced on Tuesday an unconditional ceasefire for an indefinite period and ordered militants to stop attacks on security forces. They also asked all NGOs to leave Swat.
MINGORA, Feb 24: The Taliban announced on Tuesday an unconditional
ceasefire for an indefinite period and ordered militants to stop
attacks on security forces. They also asked all NGOs to leave Swat.
After the ceasefire announcement, the militants released seven police and FC personnel.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the central Shura of Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat held somewhere in Matta tehsil. It was pre
sided over by Swat Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah who announced the decisions on his FM radio.
The meeting discussed proposals of Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad who had asked the Taliban to halt attacks on security forces, end road blockades and dismantle checkpoints to pave way for lasting peace in the valley.
Taliban spokesman Haji Muslim Khan told reporters on the phone that the meeting had agreed to change the 10-day truce into an indefinite ceasefire.
The freed FC and police personnel are Khyal Mohammad, Farooquddin, Nasir, Payo Gul, Sher Zaman, Akbar Khan and Irfanullah.
In his radio address, Maulana Fazlullah ordered his followers to stop patrolling streets and markets, attacking security personnel and kidnapping government officials. However, he said the Taliban would keep their weapons but would not carry them in public.
He announced a ban on activities of non-governmental organisations and asked them to leave Swat because they were a hurdle to the peace process.
The Maulana warned the government against sending additional security forces to Swat and said the movement of army should be restricted to specified places. The ration for troops should be in a specified quantity and for a specified period, he added.
The Maulana constituted a two-member committee comprising his commanders Mehmood Khan and Mohammad Alam Engineer to monitor the supply of ration for troops.
He authorised his father-in-law Maulana Sufi Mohammad, the TNSM chief, to determine the qualification of judges under the Nizam-i-Adl regulation and oversee their appointment.
This goes against the government’s demand that the power to appoint judges would rest with it and the new appointees would be law officers conversant with Islamic jurisprudence.
He allowed the TNSM to hold public meetings and said his men would provide security for such gatherings.
Meanwhile, the situation in Swat continued to improve and all private schools, including those for girls, and banks, offices and markets in Mingora and other towns in the south opened for the second day on Tuesday.
However, government schools for girls remained closed.
In the upper parts of the district, including Kabal, Matta and Charbagh, schools, offices and banks remained closed.
Several areas in the valley are without electricity.
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WASHINGTON, Feb 24: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on
Tuesday that the Swat peace deal was only a “local solution to a local
problem.”
Talking to the media after a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, the foreign minister insisted that the Swat agreement would not affect Islamabad’s resolve to get rid of violent extremism.
“The logic behind this agreement is a local solution to a local problem, which is quick dispensation of justice. It is not any appeasement towards the militants,” he said.
The Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers are in Washington to participate in an ongoing review of the US policy towards their region. Director General ISI, Lt Gen Ahmad Shujah Pasha accompanied the Foreign Minister in the meeting with the Afghan delegation.
Mr Qureshi said Pakistan’s determination and resolve to defeat terrorism was as sound as it was and Pakistan was absolutely clear in its objectives.
The foreign minister pointed out that Swat was a princely state which had its own judicial system before it was merged with the federation.
He said the demand for a separate judicial system was a continuation of this tradition.
Mr Qureshi said that through this arrangement Pakistan had addressed procedural difficulties. “It is not a compromise, and there is no question of any capitulation. Pakistan will continue to do what it has to do in its own interest,” he added. He said he had assured his Afghan counterpart “that there is nothing to be apprehensive” about this arrangement.
Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta said the Afghan government had confidence in the Pakistani leadership. He said he “conveyed Afghanistan’s serious concern” on the Swat deal to the Pakistani Foreign Minister, who informed him of the situation in the valley.
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PESHAWAR, Feb 22: NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has
ordered distribution of 30,000 assault rifles among villagers in
different parts of the province and approved a plan to raise an elite
police force comprising 2,500 personnel.
According to an announcement made by the provincial government on Sunday, the objective of the plan was to combat growing militancy and restore the government’s writ.
The chief minister directed distribution of 30,000 rifles among peace groups and common people cooperating with police in the fight against terrorists and militants.
Mr Hoti also directed officials that ‘Village Defence Rifles’ should not be given to people involved in criminal activities. The weapons would be taken back from people who would not use them against terrorists, he said.
These rifles would be given to law-abiding people after the approval by station house officers of police stations in their areas and final approval by district coordination officers.
Mr Hoti also approved a plan to recruit 2500 personnel in the elite police force and 2,657 vacancies would be created for the purpose. The provincial government will also provide funds for the plan.
The chief minister approved an initial release of Rs200 million for raising the force. The federal government will be approached for additional funds for the project.
Mr Hoti said the plan required Rs3.27 billon and it would help government to counter acts of terrorism in different parts of the province.
ISPR warning
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said on Sunday that the military option was still open for the government if the Swat peace deal failed, our Staff Reporter in Islamabad adds.
“If it does not restore peace in the area, the government will have to go for other options, including military operation,” he told a news agency.
He said establishing peace in Swat was the basic requirement and all possible steps would be taken to ensure it.
Troops would stay in the valley and all options were open to the government, he said.
Stressing the need for modern equipment, he said their use would not only enhance the efficiency of the armed forces, but also help reduce collateral damage.
On the other hand, a spokesman for the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said the Swat district coordination officer had been kidnapped on Sunday because his group wanted to give a message to the government that such incidents would take place if the agreement was violated.
Call to understand deal
Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said on Sunday Pakistan had very clear policy regarding terrorism and extremism and the international community should understand Swat peace deal in perspective of the government’s policy of dialogue, development and deterrence, adds APP
Talking to a TV channel, he said international apprehensions about the Swat peace deal were based on speculations.
He said Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had issued several statements that Nizam-i-Adl regulation was in line with the Constitution.
He said that restoring peace in the country was the top priority and the government was utilising all options for achieving this objective.
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MINGORA: Taliban kidnapped the new District Coordination Officer of
Swat, Khushhal Khan, on Sunday, but claimed that he was their guest and
they had picked him up for “discussing important matters”.
A Taliban spokesman said late in the night that the official and his guards had been freed.
“We have released the official and his six guards in exchange for our two colleagues,” the spokesman, Muslim Khan, said.“The government has released our two men and they will soon release another. The government violated the agreement by arresting our men in Peshawar and killing one in Dir. Therefore, we had to do this,” he said.
The official was going to Mingora to take charge from his predecessor Shaukat Yousufzai when militants stopped his vehicle and took him and his guards to their centre in Qamber.
Despite a ceasefire, militants wearing masks have been patrolling the main road and they have set up checkpoints for vehicles.
This was the first incident of kidnapping of a senior government official in the valley after the NWFP government signed an agreement with Sufi Mohammad, the chief of the banned Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM), in Peshawar last Monday.
Malakand Commissioner Syed Mohammad Javed downplayed the incident and said the authorities were in contact with the official.
The Taliban spokesman had earlier admitted that Mr Khan had been “stopped for consultation on important issues”. “The DCO has not been kidnapped. He is our guest.”
Meanwhile, local Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah announced that girls would be allowed to sit their annual exams.
The private schools’ association in Swat announced that all educational institutions in the area would open from Monday and a spokesman urged girls to go to their schools.
Agencies add: “Such actions are detrimental to peace in the region,” NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said.
The militants’ spokesman had said: “He was in our area, so we consider him our guest and after serving him with tea,” he would continue his journey.
An intelligence official told AFP: “There are a lot of things which need to be settled after the agreement on sharia and militants might have done this to send a message to the administration not to venture deep into Taliban areas.”
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had instructed authorities to ensure an early and safe recovery of the administrator and his guards.
“The prime minister also directed the law enforcement agencies to keep a strict vigil on anti-state elements who wanted to impede the government’s efforts for restoration of peace and tranquillity in Swat and adjoining areas,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
In Mingora, Maulana Sufi Mohammad held a meeting with his advisers and discussed the situation in Swat, restoration of peace and imposition of sharia, his spokesman Ameer Izzat said.
“The maulana also took his advisers into confidence on negotiations with Fazlullah,” he added. People said life was returning to normal in the town under the temporary ceasefire. “Markets are crowded and traffic police are back on the roads,” a man said. “You feel at ease when going out... We can sleep fearlessly.
The dreadful gunfire we used to hear every night has ended. People are returning to their homes and several families in my neighbourhood have come back,” he said.
Regional police chief Shaukat Hayat asked all personnel who had fled during the unrest to return to duty.
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PESHAWAR, Feb 22: The Awami National Party (ANP) has
said that international organisations have agreed to provide funds for
the construction of the female schools destroyed in Swat district.
The private educational institutions in Swat had resumed functioning after the peace agreement, while the public sector institutions will re-open next month due to winter vacations, said working committee member of the ANP Gul Meena Bilal in a press statement on Sunday.
She said that the donor agencies had expressed satisfaction over the opening of schools in Swat after the peace agreement and had agreed to finance construction of the damaged schools.
Gul Meena said that the credit for peace goes to her party’s leadership and added that NWFP government was introducing reforms to address the problems faced by the women folk. The policies aiming to provide equal opportunities to men and women are being introduced in the province, she added.
The ANP-led government had been striving hard to create job opportunities for the females belonging to the backward areas of the province and in this regard help of the social sector had been sought.
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Deal acceptable in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan: US
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 20: The United States has rejected the truce in Swat but US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday that Washington could accept a similar agreement between the government and Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
The US rejection was conveyed by its special envoy Richard Holbrooke who called President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday evening to tell him that the Swat deal was tantamount to surrender by Pakistan...
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/deal+acceptable+in+afghanistan%2C+not+in+pakistan+us
Deal acceptable in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan: US
Tuesday, 14 Apr, 2009 | 07:56 AM PST |
Sharia for other parts of Pakistan also: TNSM
BATHKELA: The Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) said Tuesday that after Swat and Malakand, Sharia will be implemented in other parts of the country as well.
While talking to the media in Batkhela, the TNSM chief Sufi Mohammad said that the Taliban and TNSM will work alongside the government for the implementation of Sharia and will maintain peace in the region.
Sufi Mohammad also said he will not abolish the peace camp he established in Malakand and will continue the peace process in the Swat valley.
The TNSM chief added that once Sharia is implemented in Swat and Malakand it would soon after be extended to other parts of the country.
He also urged all TNSM loyalists to work towards furthering the peace process.
Earlier, Sufi Mohammad had welcomed the signing of Sharia bill as a positive sign.Swat deal gives Taliban immunity: Sufi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's imposition of Islamic law to blunt a gathering Taliban rebellion will protect militants accused of brutal killings from prosecution, a hardline cleric who mediated the peace plan said on Tuesday.
The assertion highlights the dilemma facing Pakistan's beleaguered government as it seeks to halt 18 months of bloodletting in the Swat Valley while convincing the U.S. and other foreign sponsors that it is not capitulating to allies of al-Qaida.
President
Asif Ali Zardari approved plans to introduce Islamic law, or Sharia, in
Swat and nearby areas of the northwest on Monday under mounting
domestic pressure on his pro-Western government.
Defenders
of the pact argue it will drain public support for extremists who have
hijacked long-standing calls in Swat for reform of Pakistan's
snail-paced justice system.
But critics
worry that it rewards hard-liners who have beheaded political opponents
and burned scores of schools for girls in the name of Islam _ and that
it will encourage similar demands in other parts of the nuclear-armed
country.
Militants in Swat declared a
cease-fire in February after the provincial government agreed to
introduce Islamic law in the surrounding Malakand division of
Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.
The
measure was part of a peace deal brokered by Sufi Mohammed, a
white-bearded cleric who led tens of thousands to fight U.S. forces in
Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but later renounced
violence.
The terms of the agreement
remain murky, fueling concern that it cedes effective control over the
region to the private army of Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah, who is
the cleric's son-in-law. Officials have said in the past that radical
groups allied with al-Qaida have helped fight security forces in Swat.
Asked
Tuesday in a television interview if the new courts would hear
complaints from Swat residents about Fazlullah or his followers,
Mohammed said they could not.
‘We intend
to bury the past,’ Mohammed told the ARY channel, sitting off-screen
because he considers photographic or TV images to be against Islam.
‘Past things will be left behind and we will go for a new life in
peace.’
Asked if the Taliban would enjoy
such immunity, a provincial government minister only pleaded for calm
so that peace could take hold.
‘Everyone
should understand what we have gone through and what kind of hardship
people in Swat have suffered,’ Wajid Ali Khan said. ‘We can look into
any disputes and controversy at some later stage.’
After
weeks of foot-dragging, Zardari approved the Sharia regulation late
Monday only after Parliament voted unanimously to adopt a resolution
urging him to sign it.
His apparent
reluctance has fueled doubts about whether the pact will hold. Few of
the estimated 500,000 people displaced by the fighting have felt
confident enough to return so far.
The
resolution also diluted Zardari's personal responsibility for a pact
that has drawn fierce criticism from rights groups as well as
Pakistan's foreign backers, who are pumping billions of dollars into
the country in hopes of stabilizing its pro-Western democracy.
Federal
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said Tuesday that the pact was
little more than a tactical maneuver in the country's ‘long war’ with
extremists.
‘Those people who want to
hijack Pakistan and destabilize Pakistan, they used (the demand for
speedy justice) as a propaganda tool,’ Kaira said. ‘We have taken that
idea out of the hand of the exploiters.’
He
insisted the Sharia legislation would not introduce a version of
Islamic law like that introduced by the former Taliban regime in
Afghanistan.
‘It is a misconception that we are going to enforce Mullahism,’ he said.
A
spokesman for the Taliban said the militants would cooperate. If the
law is quickly implemented, ‘the world will see how much peace and
prosperity comes to this region,’ Muslim Khan said.
Many observers, however, doubt their ambitions end there.
Taliban
militants from Swat recently made a violent push into the neighboring
Buner region and Mohammed has repeatedly denounced Pakistan's
democratic system as being against Islam _ a view shared by the
extremist groups blamed for the country's rising violence.
Mohammed said his followers would tour all districts of Malakand, including Buner, to ‘ensure peace.’
He also said the courts would interpret civil rights according to Islamic strictures.
‘Women will have full protection and rights under Sharia. They will live a better life _ but behind the veil,’ he said.
Some Taliban leave Buner district
BUNER: A group of 60 Taliban vacated the Bagra police post and left Buner on Monday, but their colleagues will continue ‘peaceful preaching’ in mosques till further orders from their leadership.
The Taliban left the district in accordance with an agreement reached at a meeting held at Madressah Talimul Quran in Daggar on Saturday between government officials and leaders of the militants, the Ishaat Al Sunnah wal-Tauheed group and Qaumi Jirga.
It had been agreed that Taliban would be allowed to preach in the district without any resistance, but they would vacate the police post near Daggar and the shrine of Sufi saint Pir Baba and won’t pose any threat to local people and their property.
However, Taliban will stay in Sultanwas town, near Swat valley. It was agreed that non-local militants would leave the area in phases and replaced by local Taliban.
After the agreement, 60 Taliban left Buner on Sunday and 60 more on Monday. ‘We will abide by the agreement and leave the Buner district gradually,’ said Taliban leader Mufti Aftab. He said the shrine was being guarded to prevent any harm to it.
The Taliban briefly detained Assistant Coordination Officer Pervez Yousafzai and some security personnel.
An official said as the ACO was armed, the militants mistook him and his guards for members of a local tribal lashkar. They were freed after confirmation of their identities by the district coordination officer and the police chief.
By and large, the situation remained peaceful, but a large number of local people roamed the streets with armed Taliban, who did not confront security personnel.
People of Sultanwas have left their homes and moved to other areas in the district for fear of a clash between security forces and Taliban.
A Taliban leader, Mufti Habibullah, delivered a sermon at the district headquarters hospital mosque and urged youths to get Jihad training so that they could fight US-led and Western forces if they attacked the country.
Sufi, Swat Taliban welcome NA move
Amir Izzat, center, spokesman of
Sufi Muhammad, briefs the media about the negotiations between TSNM and
the government officials in Mingora.—AP/File
MINGORA:
Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat on
Monday welcomed the National Assembly resolution, expressing hopes that
its implementation would restore peace to Swat.
The
TNSM chief, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, said his party would keep an eye on
steps taken by the government for the promulgation of Sharia and the
independence of Qazi courts.
Talking to Dawn on telephone from his residence in Maidan, Lower Dir, Maulana Sufi said: ‘If the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation is enforced in letter and spirit, we will extend possible cooperation to the government and I will work as an ordinary activist of the movement.’
A spokesman for Swat Taliban, Haji Muslim Khan, said the people of the valley had rendered sacrifices for the cause of Sharia. ‘We welcome the resolution,’ he said.
He said that the people who opposed Sharia were neither sincere to Islam nor to the nation. Muslim Khan appreciated the role played by the media during the struggle for Sharia in the Malakand division.
Sharia for Malakand as Zardari signs law
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari approved a controversial Sharia regulation for the Malakand division of the North West Frontier Province on Monday after the National Assembly asked for what seemed to be a clear concession to Taliban militants of Swat valley to implement a peace deal between them and the provincial government.
The president put his signature on the document soon after the lower house made its unprecedented recommendation in a resolution adopted at the end of a heated debate that saw the so-called left-wing, right-wing, progressive and Islamic parties uphold the two-month-old deal that had caused unease within the country and to Pakistan’s western allies in the ‘war against terrorism.'
‘Yes, the president signed the regulation after the National Assembly adopted the resolution,’ presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn. Later the president left for Dubai on a short visit.
A parliamentary resolution was not needed to enforce the ‘Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009’ by the Awami National Party-led NWFP coalition government as the Constitution empowers the president to give the required approval to such laws for what is known as Provincially Administered Tribal Areas, such as Malakand and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which too have been gripped by terrorist militancy for the past several years.
But amid threats by militants to inflict more violence and from a wavering ANP to reconsider its role as a junior partner in the Pakistan People’s Party-led federal coalition if the president did not sign the regulation, the government’s decision to bring the matter to parliament seemed to be a clever political move to involve all parties so they could share the blame if things went wrong in the future.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the house that while the PPP had already supported the Feb 16 peace deal between the provincial coalition, of which it is a partner, and the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi on behalf of the Taliban, the government came to the National Assembly only to gain a wider ‘moral force’ for the move.
Despite its initial opposition to any debate on the issue in the house, mainly on procedural grounds, the ANP’s emotional calls for an urgent enforcement of the regulation to avoid more Pakhtun bloodshed were supported by speakers from the left-of-centre PPP, the right-wing Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan Muslim League-Q, the hardline religious Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and the usually pro-government Fata lawmakers.
But the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was unimpressed by what it saw as an attempt to enforce a particular brand of religious thought at gunpoint and abstained from the vote by staging a silent walkout. Speaker Fehmida Mirza, on a prime ministerial suggestion, ruled the resolution was passed unanimously.
Responding to objections to tabling a resolution from ANP member Pervaiz Khan and former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao, Prime Minister Gilani said his government was not against the peace deal as the president had given a go-ahead to the NWFP government to make it.
The premier also told the house he had talked on Monday morning to ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan who, he said, wanted the resolution to be passed ‘as soon as possible.'
Apparently seeking to dispel ANP fears that the PPP might block the regulation with the help of allies like the MQM, Mr Gilani said the government was not seeking any constitutional amendment on the issue and rather sought the passage of the resolution ‘as a moral force.'
‘I am with them, I am not against them,’ he said about his government’s stance about the ANP’s calls for an immediate presidential approval for the regulation, which seeks to set up Sharia courts to replace those under the normal law of the county for delivery of justice under little-defined Sharia.
Opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of the PML-N called the peace deal ‘no ideal pact,' but said ‘there could be no better pact than this in the present situation.'
Mr Sherpao said the new regulation was ‘not much different’ from the one enforced in the area in 1994 when he was a PPP chief minister of the NWFP and later in 1999 and voiced hope that its enforcement would restore peace to the region.
MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar was the only one to oppose the deal with arguments that largely remained unanswered from the supporters of the move before he led his group silently march out of the house after the prime minister and some of his ministers failed to persuade them from reversing what he said would only be abstention from voting on a move that he said would amount to allowing a Kalashinkov-bearing ultra-radical group to enforce its school of thought by force, endorsing the establishment of a parallel judicial system in the country, and encouraging those who would flog women and might not allow a women like Fehmida Mirza to be the National Assembly speaker.
PML-N’s Ayaz Amir called the regulation as the product of a ‘doctrine of necessity’ that Pakistani superior courts in the past used to uphold military coups, but added it should be given the benefit of doubt as it could be a ‘harbinger of better things’ despite ‘many doubts.'Nizam-i-Adl regulation
Did the federal government do the right thing by placing the Nizam-i-Adl regulation before parliament for debate? We believe it did. With a matter as complex as Swat, there are inevitably many aspects to consider. Begin with the ANP.
The party threatened to pull out of the federal government if President Zardari did not sign the Nizam-i-Adl regulation immediately. But this was not the kind of politics the country needed. Granted the constitution gives the president the authority to make ‘regulations for the peace and good government of a Provincially Administered Tribal Area’, and the Sharia deal was struck on the understanding that the president was on board. But what the ANP and TNSM agreed to implement in the Malakand Division is no ordinary change — it effectively cedes judicial control of a part of Pakistan to a band of militants who have been waging a savage war against the state.
Surely the correct approach politically was to bring parliament into the loop on such a dramatic change to the state’s writ. However, President Zardari must shoulder some of the blame for the mess. If the pact with the TNSM was unacceptable, then why did the president originally give his approval, tacit or otherwise? And if parliament was the right forum to debate the issue, then why wait for two months to do so?
The fact is that both the ANP and the president painted themselves into corner over the Nizam-i-Adl. The ANP perhaps calculated that in caving in to the militants’ demand in Swat, the party would at least be able to govern the rest of the province and consolidate support among the electorate. Having relied on the president for backing, the ANP found itself in an awkward position vis-à-vis the militants to whom they promised much. As for President Zardari, he tried to appease all sides — an impossible contortion act always destined to leave both allies and enemies fuming.
The Nizam-i-Adl has been approved by parliament and promulgated by the president. But the debate in parliament was yet another missed opportunity. The bigger point is that the politicians still need to reach a consensus on how to counter militancy. When force is used some segments in the political spectrum erupt in anger and indignation. When peace deals are pursued, other segments denounce them as appeasement. Yet, no one seems serious about devising a credible strategy to fight militancy.
The time for platitudes has passed. If Swat and the Nizam-i-Adl were a test case, then the politicians have not done justice to finding that credible strategy. Already the militants have spread to Buner. Mardan and Swabi seem to be the next likely districts. Simply endorsing the Nizam-i-Adl in a bid to bring peace to the Malakand Division may be too little and have come too late.What about other extremists?
THE Swat video of a girl being flogged has provoked national outrage. The public punishment is being termed as an inhumane crime. Such acts are the result of the state’s impotence and inability to regulate or provide security of life and liberty to an entire part of the country.
More importantly, the long-term disregard of the privatisation of religion and punishment in the name of religion and culture has brought the results in full view. The consequent political expression of privatised religion is uncontrollable, splintered and vicious in its backlash. This is not just in the NWFP, nor is brutal violence committed only by the Taliban.
The women’s movement has been at the forefront of the struggle against a state that has institutionalised punitive action against women. Women activists have stressed that all forms of violence, from marital rape, honour-killings and acid-throwing to stoning of women are not isolated cases nor private matters. These are permissible only due to the complicity of men and state authorities, and morally legitimised by male prescriptions invoked in the name of either culture or religion. Such crimes are not committed by evil, uneducated feudal elements or ‘fallen’ Muslims but are a tool of control used equally by liberal, educated, urban, ‘good’ Muslims.
Over the last few years, the call by Islamist academics and moderates in Pakistan to replace universal human rights with more ‘indigenous’ laws and punishment, have opened the door for justifying ‘culturally relevant’ justice. The effort on the part of some within the women’s movement to reclaim religion from male theocrats has not failed: it has been far too successful.
Today, all arguments about women’s rights, punishment, citizenship, public and private roles are fixed within what is religiously appropriate. The only manoeuvring space, thanks to these liberation theologists, is that women can fight to interpret texts in their favour. Within this limited scope and with the state complicit in violence against women, today the very survival of Pakistani women depends on such interpretations rather than any universal guarantee of the protection and security of life, regardless of belief or creed.
Consider the focus on the flogging case. Certainly it is not the first public punishment. But the Swat case received wide electronic media coverage and, therefore, an immediate audience response. Reports of the burying alive of some women in Balochistan and the Tasleema Solangi case where the victim was apparently thrown before dogs before being killed, and other publicised crimes have been perceived by urban media consumers as ‘evil deeds’ committed by atavistic tribesmen or feudal elements. For some reason, however, the flogging incident, where the woman survived the brutality, has elicited a wider reaction.
While honour crimes and anti-women jirga decisions focus on culture, tradition and patriarchal practices, the nature of the punishment in the Swat case shows that the focus of the debate is on religion. It is also about the public nature of the punishment. However, all these cases are still about woman as an identity marker in matters of ‘honour’ and the regulation of her sexuality and mobility.
Therefore, we have heard almost unanimous condemnation from progressives, moderates as well as conservatives and rightwing political parties over the public flogging. This is significant. It allows conservative Islamists to distance themselves from the Taliban image as bad Muslims who appropriate religion for inhumane purposes, while projecting themselves as the more acceptable moderate alternative.
The Taliban are giving other elements of political Islam a humane cover. However, all the while the main argument has stayed technical and within the Islamic framework – whether the punishment was according to Sharia or not, whether those who implemented it were mehram or not and whether the act was executed before or after the decision to promulgate Nizam-i-Adl was taken. The state, predictably wishes to distance itself from this, call it a conspiracy and allow the accusation to fall on the barbaric and archaic nature of the Taliban.
What if the next girl is ‘duly’ and ‘appropriately’ punished after establishing proof of transgression of any sort? Then will the punishment be condemned? If we get caught in this debate of which religious conditions allow women to be mobile, free or liable to punishment, then there is every danger that with growing conservatism there are more chances of losing the argument for unequivocal and unconditional security of life for women and minorities. Or, if the Islamic revivalist academics have their way, of being stuck in more infighting and competing discourses.
It is far easier to dismiss the barbaric Taliban as the inconvenient Muslim. It also allows other Muslims to step forward today and claim authentic insight. It has also given an opportunity for some liberal politicians to actually pronounce themselves ‘secular’ by virtue of merely denouncing the Taliban.
This perhaps is the most preposterous claim and show of political opportunism in a very long time. It also contradicts the secular approach which is not about scoring points against a discredited religious group but about separating the state and preventing it from imposing any brand of chauvinism (particularly religious). Nor is it necessarily associated with western liberalism, as has been the attempt to dismiss it on these grounds.
It is time to recognise that a sprinkling of vague liberal ideals on an essentially theocratised state does not give misogynist parties the right to claim secular credentials while still accommodating, appeasing and enabling religious parties for political expediency. Equally, if an urban political party does not have rural constituencies, this does not make it automatically anti-feudal or secular.
The Taliban have simply become a cover for men to hide their own misogynist tendencies and make a mockery of institutional crimes against women routine in our society. Until such inherent contradictions are sorted out and secular alternatives take the form of policies that challenge and remove every level of institutionalised discrimination at state, social and domestic levels, none of these self-acclaimed liberals have the right to declare themselves secular in their politics. Till then, they remain as much a part of the problem as any Taliban.
==============================
Monday, 13 Apr, 2009 | 02:45 AM PST
Adl regulation goes to parliament: ANP threat to quit govt
According to a handout, the president forwarded the regulation to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with the advice that he might consider placing it before parliament for debate.
“It will be presented before the National Assembly on Monday and a debate on it will start the same day,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Babar Awan said.
Besides the clerics of Swat, the NWFP government has also been demanding enforcement of the regulation since the signing of a peace deal with the banned Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM).
Under the deal, the TNSM promised to persuade Taliban to stop terrorist activities, and the Frontier government pledged to introduce religious laws in the Malakand division.
The federal government has linked enforcement of the laws with restoration of peace.
The government accuses the TNSM of having failed to persuade the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to stop terrorist attacks.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said recently that the federal government had accepted Sufi Mohammad’s demand to end military operation in the region and now the Taliban must lay down arms in accordance with the agreement.
Meanwhile, reacting to the president’s move to refer the regulation to the prime minister for a debate in the National Assembly, the Awami National Party (ANP), the ruling party in the Frontier province, threatened to reconsider its support for the Pakistan People’s Party at the centre if the regulation was not enforced.
NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain told a TV channel that President Zardari was empowered to approve the Nizam-i-Adl regulation, but he had sent it to parliament.
“If it was necessary to send the document to parliament, the ANP should have been taken into confidence,” he said.
Controversy over the proposed law intensified after a video showing the flogging of a teenage girl was aired by TV channels. The NWFP government termed it a move to sabotage the peace deal.
PPP information secretary Fauzia Wahab said the president’s decision was in line with his vision about supremacy of parliament.
In Peshawar, the ANP said it had been agreed that the president would sign the regulation when peace returned to Swat.
“After the Feb 16 agreement between the provincial government and Maulana Sufi Mohammad, head of the TSNM, a ceasefire was declared, followed by a gradual return of peace. Now, with the establishment of a comparatively peaceful situation, we owe it to the people of Malakand to give them Nizam-i-Adl. The provincial government has already sent the draft regulation to the presidency through the governor,” said a resolution passed by the party’s consultative committee at a meeting presided over by its acting president Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel.
It said precious time had already been wasted and any further delay in the signing of the regulation could undermine the peace process.
“If violence erupts again in Malakand division it will lead to a catastrophe in our region,” it said.
“We are not opposed to taking every piece of legislation to parliament. As a matter of principle, we are in favour of amending the Constitution to enable parliament to legislate for both Pata and Fata. But in the present case, time is of the essence and the Constitution permits the president of Pakistan to sign the regulation. “Therefore, we demand that Nizam-i-Adl Regulation should be signed by the president on an urgent basis. We also request our party leadership to reconsider the decision to remain part of the coalition government in case of further delay in the signing of the law. We assure the people of the province in general and of the Malakand division in particular that the ANP will stand firmly for their right to live in peace.
“We shall take all political parties in the province into confidence in the near future about the latest development.
“We give our leader Asfandyar Wali Khan full authority to take the final decision.”
Taliban start recruiting youths in Buner
Almost all mosques in Sultanwas, Pacha, Bhai Kaly, Malkpur, Kalakheelam, Jure, Bagra, Manyarai and Gokand are being used by them to recruit local people to their cause of enforcing Sharia in the Malakand division and eventually in the rest of the country.
On Sunday, militants took villages in Chamla tehsil under their ‘protection’ and faced no resistance from law-enforcement agencies.
“We are in touch with their (Taliban) leaders in Swat. The situation will return to normal in a few days,” Buner DCO Jawed Ahmad said, adding that local people had entered into an agreement with the Taliban in Swat through a trible elders’ council.
He said: “We are pursuing a policy of restraint. Even a minor mistake can derail the government’s peace initiative. These Taliban are peaceful. Till now they have not harmed anyone in the district.”
He denied that the Swat Taliban were recruiting youths in Buner.
But a local police official told this correspondent that the Taliban were trying and had already won over quite a number of them.
“I fear that they will have a sizeable force in a few days and will announce formation of their organisation in Buner,” he added.
Maulana Khalil, a leader of the Swat Taliban, addressed a congregation in a mosque in Malakpur village where he was welcomed by Maulana Minhajuddin and Maulana Tajur Rehman of Ishaat Al Sunnah wal-Tauheed and a large number of locals here.
He urged the local youth to come forward and shoulder the responsibility for enforcing Shariah in their areas.
Local people, meanwhile, are trying to adjust their lifestyles in accordance with the Taliban code.
A large number of them met the Taliban at Pir Baba’s shrine in Sultanwas, which is being used by the militants as the base of their operation in Buner.
Apart from the shrine of Pir Baba, Taliban have set up bases in Pacha Bazaar, Sultanwas, Bagra, Manyarai and Gokand.
Swat deal in NA to allay international reservations
Those who do not support the deal will be considered apostates, Taliban’s spokesman Muslim Khan said. — Reuters
ISLAMABAD: The Nizam-i-Adl regulation
has been sent to the parliament only because the government wants to
remove the reservations of the international community, Minister of
State for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Senator Abdur Raziq said
on Monday.
It was the responsibility of the government
to assure western allies regarding this regulation and the President
has sent the draft to parliament, he told reporters.
This was necessary after the flogging incident involving a 17-year-old girl, he said.
Separately, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan Monday warned that lawmakers who do not support a peace deal with the Taliban which involved the imposition of Islamic law in Swat and Malakand will be considered apostates.
Khan did not say whether the Taliban would punish legislators opposing the deal other than to say a militant council would discuss the matter. Apostasy, or abandoning Islam, is a serious charge that in some quarters carries the death penalty.
The provincial government in northwest Pakistan agreed in February to impose Islamic law in the Swat Valley and surrounding areas in exchange for a cease-fire with Taliban fighters who have terrorized the area for some 18 months, killing hundreds.
But President Asif Ali Zardari has delayed signing the agreement. The federal government said over the weekend that he wanted opinions from members of Parliament first. A floor debate was expected later Monday, though it was not clear whether lawmakers would vote on the issue.
The deal is unpopular in the west and among many Pakistanis, who consider it a surrender to the militants.
Zardari's delay has angered northwestern Pakistan's leaders, who say an Islamic legal system meets the demands of local residents for a more efficient legal system and is the best hope for ending the bloodshed in Swat.
Zahid Khan, information secretary for the Awami National Party, which leads the provincial government, warned that it will review its alliance with Zardari's party if the delays continue.
'We are not against taking up the issue in Parliament, but this is not constitutionally needed,' Zahid Khan said. 'The president has the power to do it on his own, and he must do it to avoid any worsening of situation in Swat.'
Muslim Khan also noted Zardari did not need guidance from lawmakers but said he would not be opposed to a debate as a way 'to relieve the foreign external pressure.'
'If there is any opposition in the assembly to this regulation, then we will know who are the true Muslims and who are the apostates,' the Taliban spokesman said.
Swat is but one trouble spot in Pakistan's northwest, where al Qaeda and the Taliban have a series of strongholds.
Militants recruit followers, extend patrols in Buner
BUNER: Militants extended their patrolling to new parts of the district and have started preaching at different mosques asking local youth to join their fold and assume control of their areas.
Giving sermons in different mosques at Sultanwas, Pacha, Bhai Kaly, Malkpur, Kalakheelam, Jure, Bagra, Manyarai, Gokand, and other areas they stated that the Tehrik-i-Taliban had its roots both within and outside of the country and the local population should join them for spreading the message of Islam.
They called upon all the people to allow their near and dear ones to join the ranks of Taliban for enforcement of Shariah laws in the Malakand division and rest of the country.
The militants extended their patrolling to the villages in Chamla Tehsil on Sunday as the law enforcing agencies continued to remain indifferent to their movement and activities.
‘We are in constant touch with the leadership of Taliban in Swat and the situation will return to normal in next few days,’ said the Buner district coordination officer Jawed Ahmad.
The DCO told Dawn by phone: ‘We have adopted policy of restraint as a slight mistake could derail the entire peace initiative launched by the government. These Taliban are peaceful and have till now not harmed any individual in the district.’
He dispelled the impression of any recruitment by the Swat Taliban in Buner stating that they had not received any such report. He added that the local people had entered into an agreement with the Taliban in Swat through a jirga.
A local police official told Dawn that the latest weapons carried by these Taliban had turned into a source of attraction for the youngsters who had been roaming with them in large number.
‘I fear that in next few days they will be joined by sizeable number of people mostly youngsters and will announce their organization setup in Buner,’ he added.
On Sunday a leader of the Swat Taliban, Maulana Khalil, delivered a sermon at a mosque in Malakpur village during which leaders of Ishaat –Al-Sunnah-wat-Tauheed, Maulana Minhajudeen and Maulana Tajur Rehman and large number of locals welcomed him.
He said that Pakistan came into existence on the name of Islam but despite the passage of 60 years that objective could not be achieved. He said that the movement for enforcement of Islamic Shariah in Malakand Division was started 20 years ago, but the desire goal could not be achieved through peaceful means and thus armed movement was started.
Maulana Khalil urged the local youth to come forward and shoulder responsibility of their localities.
The
local population has now been trying to adjust themselves with the
Taliban and large number of them is visiting them at Sultanwas, Pir
Baba and rest of their stations.
As the Taliban assured them complete peace in case of no resistance, the people here are averse to any military operation which they view would inflict more problems and devastation on the people.
Moreover, the Taliban remained in the Darbar Pir Baba, Jamia Masjid Pir Baba, Pacha Bazaar, Sultanwas, Bagra, Manyarai, and Gokand as main stations while their patrol continued to rest of district unabated. Their presence continued in the shrine of a saint Pir Baba as the management of the shrine has now been barred from entering the premises.
TNSM warns lawmakers not to oppose Nizam-i-Adl
Spokesman Amir Izzat says that the
PM’s proposal of presenting Nizam-i-Adl Regulation before the National
Assembly was a conspiracy to delay implementation of Sharia and deceive
the people of Malakand. - Reuters/File photo.
BATKHELA: The spokesman for Tanzim Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhmmadi has warned to declare legislators as non-Muslims and Pakistan as ‘Darul Harb’ if they opposed Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in the parliament.
Talking to journalists at a protest camp in Bilal Mosque, TNSM headquarters in Amandara, Amir Izzat termed the passage of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation from the parliament as delaying tactics. He threatened to declare the legislators as non-Muslims and Pakistan as Darul Harb if they didn’t approve the regulation.
‘Have the laws already enforced in tribal areas and Malakand region been passed by the National Assembly,’ he asked, and added that all those laws had been proposed by the governor and promulgated by the president though ordinances.
‘In Islam even a prophet could not make laws of his own. The prophets were the messengers and they only conveyed Allah’s orders and directives to human beings,’ he added.
Commenting on the prime minister’s proposal of presenting Nizam-i-Adl Regulation before the National Assembly, he said the move was a conspiracy to delay implementation of Sharia and deceive the people of Malakand.
To a question, he said that enforcement of Sharia in Malakand was in accordance with Sections 4/5 of Article 247 of the Constitution. ‘We are striving for hundred per cent enforcement of Sharia,’ he said, adding even 99 per cent implementation was not acceptable as they would be answerable to Allah Almighty.
The TNSM spokesman said if rulers were independent in policymaking they would take decisions in best interests of people. ‘Our rulers are toeing policies of US and its allies. But the nation is not slave of America,’ he added.
He said that peaceful drive of TNSM for enforcement of Sharia and restoration of peace in Malakand would continue for the time being. ‘We would devise future line of action after consultation with scholars and other religious figure,’ he added.
He said if Interior Adviser Rehman Malik could not ensure hundred per cent peace in the federal capital how could he ask TNSM to restore complete peace in Swat.
Five more Taliban militants freed in Swat
The TNSM has given a list of 210
Taliban men to the authorities seeking their release as promised by the
NWFP government.—AP/FIle
MINGORA: The government has released five more Taliban militants in Swat valley on Sunday as part peace accord inked with Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammaid on February 16 this year.
The number of freed Taliban prisoners reached to 53 after the government, in accordance with the promise made to the TNSM, set free five more militants in Khwazakhela tehsil.
According to official sources the freed militants included Fazal Qadir son of Ghulam Yahya, Miftahuddin son of Fazal Qadir, Amir Rehman son of Jokai, Hafizullah son of Bakht Rawan, and Bahadar Khan son of Bajauri.
The TNSM has given a list of 210 Taliban men to the authorities seeking their release as promised by the NWFP government.==============================
Sunday, 12 Apr, 2009 | 04:08 AM PST
Swat deal’s fate to be decided by parliament: PM
He was talking to journalists after performing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Multan Airport’s up-gradation.
“Parliament is a proper forum for it (Swat agreement) and let people’s representatives decide about the fate of this agreement as parliament is the final decision-making institution,” the prime minister said.
He said that everybody, including President Asif Ali Zardari, wanted the parliament to take a decision on the Swat agreement as peace in the area was linked with this agreement.
He said that Swat used to be an independent state in the past and it had its own customs and traditions. He said people of the area wanted a system of speedy justice and late PPP leader Benazir Bhutto had also given incentives to them when she was prime minister.
In reply to a question about the US aid, Mr Gilani said Pakistan would not compromise on its sovereignty and integrity and would not accept any condition attached to the aid as it was being given to Pakistan because of its role as a frontline state in the war on terror.
He said Pakistan wanted friendly relations with all neighbouring countries including India, Iran and Afghanistan, and all efforts were being made for the purpose.
In reply to a question about PML-N rejoining the federal cabinet, Mr Gilani said that he had met Mian Shahbaz Sharif and conveyed the message of PPP’s co-chairman to him and the PPP would respect whatever decision was taken by the PML-N.
Mr Gilani said he would be able to comment on the issue after his meeting with PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif.
“Mian Nawaz Sharif is doing positive politics and the media should avoid criticising him.”
On the assassination of three Baloch leaders, the prime minister said it was an extremely condemnable act, but people should wait for a report of a judicial commission formed by the government.
In reply to a question about drone attacks in Balochistan, Mr Gilani said that the government had made it clear that Islamabad would not accept drone attacks in the province as these attacks were already undermining government efforts to promote peace in Fata and other areas.
About arrest of some Pakistani students in Britain, the prime minister said he was not in a position to comment at this stage as the matter was still under investigation.
Referring to wheat position, he said he would soon convene a meeting of all chief ministers to formulate a uniform policy for the benefit of poor farmers instead of middlemen.
Earlier, addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Multan Airport’s up-gradation, he said the move would not only help improve travel facilities for the people of this area, but would also help earn foreign exchange through the export of mango, vegetables and other goods.
The first phase of the project would be completed at a cost of Rs4.6 billion.
Sufi refuses to hold talks with govt
Talking to Dawn at a protest camp set up in Amandara, the TNSM chief said he would not hold any meeting with the prime minister either, adding that the Tehrik had signed the peace agreement with the provincial government on the condition that Islamic laws would be enforced in the region.
He criticised a statement of Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik that the president would not sign the regulation till complete restoration of peace in Swat and other areas.
He said the TNSM would be responsible for maintaining peace in the region only if the government enforced Sharia in letter and spirit and set up Qazi courts.
Talking to various delegations which called on him at the camp, Sufi said the only objective of the TNSM was enforcement of Sharia in Malakand.
JIRGA-TALIBAN MEETING: The Swat Qaumi Aman Jirga and the Taliban have agreed to jointly work for lasting peace and enforcement of Sharia in the valley.
According to sources, the decision was taken during a two-hour meeting between the jirga delegation led by its chief Syed Inamur Rehman and Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah held at an unspecified place on Saturday.
The two sides discussed the situation and enforcement of Sharia in Malakand and Inamur Rehman claimed that they had made headway in talks.
Maulana Fazlullah told the jirga that the Swat Taliban had rendered many sacrifices for enforcement of Sharia. “We have no personal agenda. We only want Shariat-i-Muhammadi enforced.”
The Maulana said the Taliban would not demand any compensation for the losses they had suffered during the struggle for Sharia. The Taliban commander also directed his men to remain peaceful and respect the agreement.
The jirga members also held talks with the TNSM leadership and military authorities.
Taliban agree on ‘gradual return’ from Buner
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Malakand Commissioner Mohammed Jawed, Awami Jirga representative Hamidur Rehman, Taliban commander, Buner DCO Jawed Khan and DPO Abdul Rasheed.
A committee was formed to assess the damage caused to the shrine and other buildings when the Taliban took their control.
It was agreed that the Taliban belonging to Buner would stay in the areas.
Earlier, it may be mentioned, the Taliban extended their control to five union councils in Buner.
The Taliban, who closed the main entrance to Pir Baba’s shrine on Friday, held talks with the khateeb of the mosque adjacent to the shrine, Mufti Humayun Rasheed Silavi, and successor of the sufi saint Syed Hussain Shah.
The Taliban said they were closing down the shrine and deployed 10 heavily-armed men to keep visitors away from the shrine.
They asked the khateeb and the shrine’s caretakers to leave the place.
A source close to the Taliban said the militants were considering converting the mosque into a Sharia court.
The Taliban have extended their patrolling from Gokand to the Pir Baba area.
Local people said that militants visited nearby villages of Pacha, Ghazi Khanay, Bhai and Kalakhela and took over mosques in those areas. They urged people to follow their example.
===============================
Saturday, 11 Apr, 2009 | 02:27 AM PST
Taliban move into new Buner areas
“They have taken control of vast areas in Buner. They are freely moving around while police and other law-enforcement personnel remain confined to their posts,” said a man who lives near the shrine of Pir Baba. He said that the militants had earlier announced that they would leave after holding a march in various areas.
Local people said that the militants, who occupied houses of influential people organising an anti-Taliban lashkar, were still patrolling the road leading to Daggar, the district headquarters.
The tribal elderswhose houses have been occupied included Syed Ahmed Khan, his cousins Mah Muneer Khan and Afsar Khan, the nazim of the Gadezai union council.
Militants set on fire TV sets, pictures and paintings and audio and video cassettes before the Friday prayers. They locked the shrine, stopping followers of Pir Baba from visiting the place. They also delivered sermons in village mosques. “We have been asked by our seniors not to interfere with the Taliban,” said an officer of the Pir Baba police station. He said that the Taliban had advanced weapons, some of which he had “never seen before”.
He said that so far they had not harmed anyone. “Their prime targets have already fled.” A spokesman for militants in Sultanwas announced that people who had fled the area should return to their homes, but said those who had taken up arms against them would not be spared.
Local people said that the militants had met hundreds of local people, especially the youths, who remained with them the whole day.
The Taliban were also seen patrolling areas near Bhai Killey and Ghazikhanay and were using vehicles they had captured.
An official at the commissioner’s office in Saidu Sharif said on late Thursday night after talks with a peace mission that Taliban had agreed to leave Buner.
However, sources privy to the talks between the militants, administration officials and a local jirga headed by Maulana Waliullah Kalbalgrami, said that no agreement had been reached. He said they had been allowed to “go anywhere” in Buner they wanted to.
He
said that the militants controlling the Sultanwas village had been told
to occupy residences of the people who were part of the anti-Taliban
lashkar.
Sufi agrees to keep peace deal intact
However, TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who had brokered a peace deal between the NWFP government and the Taliban on Feb 16, refused to meet the task force and said he would not meet any government delegation till the signing of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by President Asif Ali Zardari and its enforcement in Malakand and Kohistan.
The government’s task force included provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed and Swat DCO Khushdil Khan.
The TNSM was represented by its Naib Ameer Maulana Mohammad Alam, spokesman Amir Izzat Khan, Maulana Safiullah, Maulana Syed Wahab, Ghias Uddin, Latif Khan and Multan Mir.
Sufi Mohammad wound up his peace camp in Mingora on Thursday and he had taken the decision because of president’s failure to enforce Islamic law in Swat.
Although Qazi courts started functioning last month, the president has linked the signing of the law to complete restoration of peace in Swat.
According to sources, the two sides tried to address each other’s reservations in the closed-door meeting and agreed to work jointly to save the peace agreement from collapsing.
Information Minister Mian Iftikhar told reporters after the meeting that talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and the two sides agreed to maintain the peace accord. “The peace deal is intact and will remain intact.”
He said the provincial government was sincere about enforcement of Sharia and implementation of the agreement reached with the TNSM leadership.
He said that some elements were out to sabotage the agreement, but “we will not let them succeed in their nefarious designs”.
Mr Iftikhar said the provincial government was in contact with the presidency and expressed the hope that the president would sign the regulation soon. He said the president and the prime minister had been consulted before the signing of the accord.
He said that Qazi courts with full powers would be set up in Malakand.
Mr Iftikhar said that peace had been restored in about 70 per cent of Swat and urged all political and religious forces to help the government in its efforts.
TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat said the peace agreement had been signed with the NWFP government and “we will abide by it”.
He said the TNSM had not ended the agreement and would continue its efforts to maintain peace in the region.
“We have not backed out of the peace pact. We have only wound up our peace camp which has nothing to do with the agreement.”
He said the law and order situation in Swat was better than in other areas of the country and it would improve if President Zardari signed the regulation.
In reply to a question, he said: “We have not asked the Taliban to take up arms, but the government would be held responsible for any resurgence of violence in Swat.”
================================
Friday, 10 Apr, 2009 | 08:39 AM PST |
The Taliban advance
What next will the Taliban target in their relentless sweep across the tribal belt and the NWFP? Mansehra, Mardan, Swabi? Abbottabad perhaps, or Haripur? Peshawar itself? After capturing Swat courtesy the government’s capitulation, militants based in the valley crossed into Buner and occupied at least one village as well as a police post and a government school. Area residents say the Taliban set up an operational headquarters and although they agreed to leave Buner last night it is uncertain that they will confine themselves to Swat.
They had ventured into Buner following clashes the other day when a contingent of local tribesmen backed up by the police killed several Taliban fighters. In case of a similar advance, federal and provincial security personnel must enter the fray without delay because the defence of other areas cannot be left to local residents or the police force. The state has already failed the people of Swat as well as several tribal areas including Waziristan. It must now come to grips with the reality that the enemy is advancing by the day. Decisive action is needed now, not later.
Taliban commander Mullah Nazeer recently said that ‘the day is not far when Islamabad will be in the hands of the [militants]’. This may come across as a tall claim but confusing the improbable with the impossible is always fraught with danger. Reports that Sufi Mohammad of the TNSM has effectively pulled out of the ‘peace deal’ he helped broker in Swat perhaps provide a pointer to what might lie ahead.
A Taliban spokesman in Swat wanted to know ‘what law stops us from going [to Buner]? Our people will go there and stay there as long as they want’. Of course every Pakistani has the right to live in or visit any part of the country. But the spokesman perhaps forgets that the Taliban can be classified neither as job-seekers nor tourists. Also, in theory at least, there are a number of laws that the Taliban violated in their attempt to devour Buner.
There are laws that state that murderers should be arrested and put behind bars instead of being allowed to roam freely. Storming and capturing private businesses and government institutions at gunpoint is also against the law. Creating states within a state is tantamount to treason. But then the Taliban are a law unto themselves. Successive governments with their duplicity or ineptitude have granted them that privilege. When will the state do its duty?===============================
Thursday, 09 Apr, 2009 | 03:58 AM PST
Swat Taliban move to gain foothold in Buner
The militants advanced from Gokand valley and occupied the village of Kalabatt, about two kilometres from Pacha Bazar, a police post in Bagra and a government school.
They have set up a base camp in the area at a place about just four kilometres from the district headquarters of Daggar.
The Taliban handed over the bodies of two Lashkar men and three police personnel they had killed in a clash on Tuesday to a third party after talks with prominent cleric Maulana Waliullah Kabalgrami. They set on fire a number of houses and occupied the petrol pump owned by a leader of the Qaumi Lashkar.
A large number of people were seen leaving the village of Sultanwas.
Elders of a local jirga and officials of the district administration held talks with the Taliban through a reconciliatory committee also comprising leaders of Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi to persuade them to leave the area. But the militants said they had been told by the Tehrik-i-Taliban leadership to stay in the area.
A Taliban commander said they would leave the area after holding a peace march and visiting homes of six Taliban killed in a clash in Shalbandi.
Malakand commissioner Mohammad Javed Khan, Taliban commander Mehmood Khan, TNSM’s deputy chief Maulana Mohammad Alam and district chief Maulana Salar had visited Gokand on Tuesday but failed to resolve the crisis. They also held talks with Taliban commander Rizwan Bacha.
Sources said the Taliban had set up their headquarters in Buner and they were in no mood to leave the district.
As a last effort to avoid bloodshed, a delegation of local clerics led by Maulana Waliullah held talks with elders of the Quami Jirga at Madressah Taleem-ul-Quran in Daggar. The meeting continued till late in the night. Maulana Waliullah earlier had a meeting with Taliban commander Rizwan Bacha in Gokand.
Reuters adds: A Taliban commander said the Pakistani military and the United States were colluding in US drone attacks and militants would take their war to Islamabad in response.
“About 20 vehicles carrying Taliban entered Buner on Monday and started moving around the bazaar and streets,” said senior police officer Israr Bacha.
Villagers formed a lashkar to confront the Taliban and eight of the insurgents were killed in a clash on Tuesday, police said.
Two villagers and three policemen were also killed.
“People don’t like the Taliban,” Ghulam Mustafa, deputy chief of Buner, told Reuters by telephone.
Muslim Khan, a Taliban spokesman in Swat, was defiant.
“What law stops us going there?” he said. “Our people will go there and stay there as long as they want.”
==========
Buner locals form more lashkars to fight miliants
Lashkar elders told DawnNews they will not allow the use of their land for any militant activity. — AP
BUNER: Locals have formed Lashkars in all nine tehsils of district Buner to fight against militants entering from Swat, DawnNews reported.
Lashkar elders told DawnNews they will not allow the use of their land for any militant activity.
Each lashkar will contain 100 people.
A heavy contingent of security forces has also arrived in Buner, official sources said.
Tension is running high in the area and locals do not want security forces and militants to make Buner a battle ground.
Militants handed over the bodies of four people to locals, including the bodies of two policemen, who were killed in Tuesday's clash between militants and lashkars.
The clash took place when militants tried to enter Buner from the Khogan area of Swat but local armed people did not allow the militants to take refuge in the area.=================================
Wednesday, 08 Apr, 2009 | 05:03 AM PST
16 militants among 21 killed in Buner clash
Three policemen and two Lashkar men were among the dead.
When the combined force tried to enter the area via Rajagaly Kandow from the Pir Baba side and dislodge the militants, Taliban took position and refused to go back.
Members of a local jirga, including leaders of the Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), and officials of the district administration, formed a committee and tried to persuade Taliban to leave the area, offering them safe passage. But the militant commander said that he had been ordered to stay, hold a ‘peace march’ and visit Shalbandi to condole the deaths of six militants.
Some of the deceased were identified as Waseem Khan, Pir Mohammad Khan, ASI Afreen, constables Mohammad Akbar and Jehanzada.
Sources said that the militants had sent 16 bodies and taken 13 of their wounded colleagues to Swat via Kalil Kandow on Tuesday morning.
============================
Tuesday, 07 Apr, 2009 | 05:16 AM PST |
Protest in Mingora against flogging video
Protestors termed the video footage part of a conspiracy to derail the peace process launched by the NWFP government.—APP/File
MINGORA: The Swat peace jirga held a demonstration here on
Monday in protest against the video footage showing flogging of a girl
and called upon President Asif Ali Zardari to approve the proposed
Nizam-i-Adl regulation.The protesters threatened to start a
long march towards Islamabad if the government failed to accept their
demands. Hundreds of people from different areas of the valley gathered
at the Green Chowk despite heavy rain.
The speakers termed the
video footage part of a conspiracy to derail the peace process launched
by the NWFP government. They alleged that the video was fake and aimed
at defaming Islam and sabotaging the Swat peace deal.
They
criticised Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain for issuing
statements about the footage. The speakers asked Chief Justice Iftikhar
Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of release of the ‘fake
footage by NGOs’.
The demonstration was followed by a peace
march. The participants chanted slogans for enforcement of shariat. The
jirga’s chief, Syed Inamur Rehman, Behr-i-Karam Khan, Mohammad Iqbal,
Ibrahim Dewalae, Kareemul Hadi and Gul Mohammad also spoke.
The
Muttahida Ulema Council of Swat announced that it would hold a
demonstration on Friday against the video. A meeting of the council was
held at the office of Jamaat-i-Islami.
Tensions high as Taliban refuse to leave Buner
Taliban commander refuses to leave
the area as asked by the local jirga, saying that they have been
ordered by their high command to monitor affairs in the area in
accordance with Nizam-i-Adl Regulation. - File photo.
BUNER: Tension mounted here on Sunday after a group of Taliban that entered the scenic valley of Gokand on Saturday via Kalil Kandow, rejected the warning of a local jirga to leave the area.
Sources said a group of about 90 armed Swat Taliban entered the scenic valley of Gokand on Saturday and took positions at strategic area of Manyarai, some 12 kilometres from district headquarters Daggar. Sources said that number of militants reached to several hundreds till late Sunday as reinforcement from Swat as well as local Taliban joined them.
The district administration and locals after getting information about the entry of Taliban held a joint jirga in the district headquarters Daggar on Sunday. The jirga decided to ask Taliban to leave the area till dusk on Sunday else they would take up weapons against them.
The jirga conveyed the message to Taliban through district leaders of the defunct Tanzim Nifazi-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), Pervez Khan and Maulana Fazli Maabood. Both the leaders held several rounds of negotiations with Taliban at Manyarai and jirga members at Bagra police post.
According to the members of reconciliatory committee, Taliban commander refused to leave the area, saying they were assigned ordered by their high command to monitor affairs in the area in accordance with Nizam-i-Adl Regulation.
According to official sources there is no ban on the movement of Taliban and they are free to move any where in the district but they will not harm the local people or damage government installations.
The locals feared eruption of clashes between the Lashkar and militants as both sides stuck to their stances. Taliban want to stay in the area while locals urge them to leave.
The jirga, sources said, was not ready to give them more time for staying, adding the youth, armed with latest weaponry, were insisting on using force against them.
However, District Coordination Officer Javeed Ahemd Khan has consulted Malakand Commissioner Mohammad Javed regarding the new development, who advised him to keep the local people cool till Monday morning.
The commissioner Malakand, sources said, has contacted TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad to find out a viable solution to the crisis.
After thorough consultation, the jirga agreed with the administration to extend the deadline till 10am on Monday. However, the reconciliatory committee confided to Dawn that Taliban commander said that they would not go back as under the peace deal there was no restriction on their movement anywhere in the division.
The local jirga, during its meeting in Daggar, decided to take action against Taliban and flush them out of the district. The jirga also sent a message to Taliban that the people of Buner were supporting the proposed setting up of qazis courts in the region as initiated by TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad and Malakand commissioner.
However, Taliban, armed with sophisticated weapons, did not ready to pay heed to jirga and members of reconciliatory committee.===============================
Saturday, 04 Apr, 2009 | 04:00 AM PST
CJ wants victim in court
Taking suo motu notice of the incident, the chief justice asked the chief secretary and police chief of the NWFP to appear in person.
Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain brought the incident to the notice of the chief justice on Friday after seeing an amateur video of the flogging aired by television channels.
“We do not know the exact venue of the incident and the circumstances in which the punishment by whipping was administered, but it certainly constitutes a serious violation of law and fundamental rights of the citizens of the country,” the chief justice said. He constituted an eight-judge bench headed by himself to hear the case on April 6.
Besides Chief Justice Iftikhar, the bench comprises Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Sardar Mohamamd Raza Khan, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed.
Notices were also issued to Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa, the NWFP advocate general and the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association.
The private TV channels which had shown the footage were ordered to submit a copy of the recording. The Geo, Aaj and Express channels were asked to jointly compile the video of the incident and make arrangements to display it before the court.
In his note to the chief justice, the registrar stated that he had watched the video in which the victim who was crying and screaming continuously was being whipped on the charge that she had gone out of her home with a ‘na-mahram’. The exact place where the incident had taken place was not mentioned. However, it appeared to be somewhere in Mingora or a village in Swat. Probably the news had also been released by foreign media, the registrar said, adding that it was a very cruel act which violated the fundamental rights and gave a very bad name to the country. The treatment was also in violation of Islamic norms and principles, he said.
“The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees fundamental rights of its citizens,” he said, adding that no person could be deprived of life or liberty without due process of law.
“The dignity of person is inviolable. No person can be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Punishment of whipping is prohibited by law. The incident, therefore, constitutes a serious violation of the Constitution/law,” the note said.
According to Article 247 of the Constitution, it said, the executive authority of the federation extended to the tribal areas, including the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
Flogging in Swat outrages nation: Video captures girl’s agony
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered an inquiry.
Condemning the incident, he termed it a shameful happening which had tarnished the image of the country.
The whole episode was against the principles and teachings of Islam. “Islam teaches us to treat women politely,” the prime minister said in a statement. He said the government would take every possible measure to protect women’s rights.
Members of civil society and public representatives reacted strongly to the incident and expressed fears that such practices might spread to the rest of the country.
Television channels kept screening throughout the day the footage of the 17-year-old girl who was flogged 34 times in broad daylight, encircled by a crowd of local men.
The amateur video, apparently shot on a mobile phone, shows the girl, wearing a blue burqa, lying on the ground face down. Her legs, hands and head are held by two men and a third, bearded man wearing a turban is shown whipping her repeatedly.
After the first couple of lashes, the girl starts to scream loudly, but no one moves to help her. “Please, please,” she shouts in Pushto. “Stop it, please. For God’s sake, stop it, I am dying.”
A man off-camera is giving orders to his companions. “Hold her feet tightly. Lift her burqa a bit.”
The public flogging continued for several minutes, after which the wailing girl is dragged by a group of armed men to a nearby building.
The video shown by several news channels sent a wave of shock, anger and depression across the country.
Initially, some elements tried to downplay the significance of the flogging, saying it was not clear if it was a recent incident and even going to the extent of speculating that the incident had not taken place.
A leader of the Awami National Party, without mincing his words, said the video release was aimed at undermining the Swat peace agreement.
But Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told some TV channels that it was the work of Taliban. He termed the action justified, saying that the girl had been seen out of her house with a man who was not her husband and it was enough to punish her for what he said was an ‘un-Islamic’ act.
Several human rights and women’s groups accused the government of giving a free hand to extremist religious groups to enforce their own brand of Shariat in Swat and some other parts of northern Pakistan.
“We strongly condemn this barbaric and heinous crime and demand immediate action against those involved in this inhuman act,” the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus said in a statement.
The caucus secretary, Nafisa Shah, said neither Islam nor the Constitution allowed such acts. Instead, they protected the fundamental rights of women. She said the caucus would take up the issue in parliament and with the federal and provincial governments.
Several NGOs called for immediate action by the government.
Taking suo motu notice of the incident, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry termed it a serious violation of fundamental rights and ordered the interior secretary to present the victim before his court on Monday.
While NWFP minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat spokesman Muslim Khan claimed in the valley that the incident had taken place before the Feb 16 peace agreement, local people said it had taken place around two weeks ago at Kala Kalae, Kabal sub-district.
Both said the surfacing of the video footage was a conspiracy to sabotage the deal.
The militants claimed that the girl had an affair with a boy, but the version was challenged by a local social activist. He told Dawn by phone that a local boy had sent a proposal for marrying her, but her family turned it down.
The boy, who had vowed to avenge the refusal, later joined the militants.
On the day the purported flogging took place, a neighbour had been called to fix a fault in an electric power generator at the girl’s home. All of a sudden a number of militants forced their way into the house, dragging the girl out of her house.
Speaking at a press conference in Swat, provincial Minister Iftikhar Hussain said the incident had taken place on Jan 3, 45 days before the signing of the peace agreement.
He alleged that an NGO activist, Samar Minallah, had released the video as part of a conspiracy. He said her brother had been a provincial minister in the government of Gen Pervez Musharraf. “Where were these people when innocents were being slaughtered and bodies were pulled out of graves.”
The minister said the incident was condemnable and should be investigated, but at the same time flashing it several months after its occurrence raised suspicions.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the sentence of whipping could be awarded to both men and women under Shariat. He said the ‘sentence’ had been executed during ‘war time’.
Muslim Khan said the girl should have been stoned to death, but the Taliban had only flogged her because qazi courts had not been set up at the time.
He asked the media not to air the footage, saying it was a conspiracy against the peace deal.
A spokesman for Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Muhammadi, Amir Izzat Khan, said the manner in which the sentence had been executed was against religious principles. In Lahore, rights activists and members of civil society said they would hold a peace rally on The Mall on Saturday to give a message to extremists that they would not be allowed to pursue their ‘nefarious designs’. They also condemned recent terrorist attacks in Lahore.
They urged people to stand against extremism in all forms because the governments and the army had failed to contain it.
Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, condemned the public flogging of the girl and said such terrorism and barbarity were intolerable.
She said that according to HRCP reports, the incident had taken place a month ago, not because the girl had committed adultery, but because her family had turned down a marriage proposal for her. She said the girl had gone out of her home with her father-in-law.
She accused the federal and provincial governments of succumbing to the terrorists and giving them a free hand to attack people and disgrace women. She said that by entering into a peace accord with Taliban, the government had left citizens at the mercy of extremists.
“The government has handed over Swat to those who have played with the lives of people. If they are really popular, why this was not reflected in the last general elections?” she wondered.
Ms Jahangir criticised the leaders who were claiming that peace had been restored in Swat. “Why don’t they take their families there and stay just for one week?”
In reply to a question about recent terrorist attacks, she said cricket players and police had nothing to with drone attacks.
Iqbal Haider, of the HRCP, said Gen (retd) Musharraf had signed six agreements with Taliban from 2003 to 2007. Two more agreements were signed afterwards, literally surrendering the state to the extremists.
He said there was no peace in Swat, girls were still not going to schools and people were being harassed.
President Asif Ali Zardari, who has yet to finally endorse the peace deal, condemned the flogging and called for the arrest of those responsible.
“The president was shocked over this act of barbarism and asked for a report from the government and local administration,” his spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif said in a statement that the incident was an open violation of the Constitution and tantamount to humiliation of humanity. He said the government should ensure suppression of such brutal happenings.
Muttahida chief Altaf Husain, deploring the whipping, called for punishing the perpetrators by death. He suggested that Sunday be observed as a black day to express outrage.
Briefing journalists in Naudero after a meeting of Pakistan People’s Party’s central executive committee, information secretary Fauzia Wahab called the incident barbaric.
Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik told reporters in Sukkur: “We are investigating the matter. But sometimes anti-state elements make fake or artificial footage or images to bring disrepute to Pakistan.”
Khawar Ghumman in Islamabad, Hameedullah Khan in Mingora, Waseem Ahmad Shah in Peshawar and Intikhab Hanif in Lahore contributed to the report.
==============================
Wednesday, 25 Mar, 2009 | 06:01 AM PST
Sufi threatens to close ‘peace camp’
Addressing a press conference at the ‘grassy ground’ in Saidu Sharif, he said he was dissatisfied over what he called slow pace of implementation of the Swat peace accord and said that un-Islamic laws were in force in Malakand even 38 days after the signing of the agreement.The Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi chief said he supported the agreement but was not satisfied with the process of its implementation. “Judges have been replaced with Qazis. They are reforming the society, but are unable to issue orders or to get their decisions implemented.”
He said the TNSM and the NWFP government had signed the accord on February 16 to enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation and repeal all laws repugnant to Islam in the Malakand division and Kohistan district of Hazara, but un-Islamic laws were still being followed.
Answering a question, Sufi Mohammad said the agreement had not been signed with the federal government or with President Asif Zardari. It was signed with the NWFP government which would be held responsible for its failure.
He said there would be no lasting peace if Sharia was not implemented in the region.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people blocked the Mingora-Matta road for four hours in protest against deployment of security forces in government-run educational institutions.
The protesters were holding placards inscribed with the slogan, “We need schools, not checkposts”.
They said troops had been occupying schools in the area for two years. As a result, they said, thousands of students had been deprived of the opportunity to go to school.
They ended the roadblock after receiving assurance from the chief of the Swat peace jirga and tehsildar of Kabal that troops would vacate schools within three days.
=============================
Sunday, 22 Mar, 2009 | 05:16 AM PST
Six Taliban released under Swat deal
Officials said that Mohammad Ghaffar, Wasiullah, Maulana Habibul Haq, Mohammad Rasheed, Mian Said Jaffar and Noorul Hadi were released from various jails.
The militants had been arrested during the military operation in Swat.
The sources said that more Taliban would be released in the next couple of days.
The provincial government and the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) signed an agreement recently to enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation for restoration of lasting peace in the valley.
Protest
Students of Government Jehanzeb College blocked Mingora-Saidu Sharif road in protest against what they described as non-remission of admission and examination fees.
The protesters said that authorities of educational institutions, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and the university were charging fees in violation of an announcement by the government that admission and examination fees would be waived.
The students called off the demonstration after Malakand Commissioner Syed Mohammad Javed assured them that their grievances would be looked into.
Man Kidnapped
Unidentified men kidnapped the son of a transporter in Mingora on Saturday. Shahid, son of Malik Iqbal Rawan, was on his way home when the assailants overpowered him and whisked him away.
============================
Saturday, 21 Mar, 2009 | 07:04 AM PST
16 militants freed in Swat
Noorul Hadi, brother of Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan, was among the militants freed on Friday.
The others were: Ayub Khan of Banjot, Delaram Khan of Shahdara, Anwar Hussain of Akber Hussain of Koza Bandai, Inayatur Rehman, Fazal Illahi and Zahir Shah of Ghurband, Muzaffar Khan of Sar Banda Matta, Rahmat Shah of Kanju, Munir Khan of Takhtaband, Gulzada of Gul Jabba, Omar Khan of Kanju, Saddam Hussain of Takhtaband , Mohammad Yaqub of Shah Dheri, Arsala Khan of Ogday Takhtaband and Sher Bahar of Charbagh.
The government is reported to have freed 28 militants so far.
Now that the main demand of the TNSM had been met, officials said the militants should lay down their arms and play their due role for restoring peace in the valley.
Meanwhile, Qazi courts have started functioning in seven tehsils of Swat. Over the past five days, 400 cases have been submitted in the courts, and 20 of them have been decided.
========
Thursday, 19 Mar, 2009 | 05:14 AM PST
Five killed in attack on police van
Official sources and eyewitnesses told Dawn that about a hundred armed men forced their way into the university premises at about 12.45am.
When watchmen tried to stop them, the assailants opened fire, injuring two of them.
A police party from Ouch reached the place but its van was hit by a rocket. Three policemen, ASI Azizullah, head constable Inayatullah and constable Adam Khan, were killed on the spot while driver of the van constable Nazir died in a hospital in Peshawar.
Watchmen Khaliq Dad died in Batkhela hospital.
Constables Rahmatullah and Wahid Zaman are under treatment in Peshawar.
The sources said the attackers who had come from Swat fled in two coaches of the university, leaving their pick-ups behind.
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Wednesday, 18 Mar, 2009 | 03:18 AM PST
Regular courts stop functioning in Swat
It is learnt that 16 judicial officers in Mingora, Swat district and sessions judge (zila qazi), Ayaz Khan; four additional district and sessions judges (izafi zila qazi) and 11 civil judges cum judicial magistrates (ilaqa qazi), did not hold their courts. The seven qazis posted recently in Swat on the directives of Maulana Sufi Muhammad heard cases. The qazis are: Pirzada Noor Muhammad Shah and Ihsanur Rehman at Babozai area; Rasool Shah and Sajadur Rehman at Kabal; Riaz Ali at Matta; Muhammad Rehman at Khwazakhela; and Umar Ali Khan at Bahrain.
On Monday, Maulana Sufi Muhammad had asked the judges not to come to their courts.
“The situation is alarming for us and we will take up the issue with the provincial government,” said a senior official at the Peshawar High Court.
He said that the high court had asked the judicial officers at Mingora to take appropriate measures about conducting judicial work keeping in view the situation. “We are worried about the safety of the judges performing duties there,” the official said.
However, the NWFP cabinet at a meeting held with Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti in the chair, expressed satisfaction over the situation in Swat.
It is learnt that Muhammad Rehman, the qazi posted at Khwazakhela, has given a judgment on a case.
In a civil dispute between two parties, the qazi directed the respondent to pay Rs17,000 to the applicant and said that Rs20,000 should be paid in four equal instalments.
Sufi Muhammad’s son Rizwanullah Khan told journalists that the judges had taken a wise decision not to attend the court. He said the NWFP government had agreed that Sharia would be the supreme law and the courts would function under it. “In sharia there is no room for courts functioning under English law,” he added.
The stoppage of work by regular judges has left lawyers without work. Although, judges came to the district courts, they remained idle throughout the day.
A lawyer told reporters that there were 362 active members in the Swat Bar Association, and if the situation persisted they would have to either abandon the profession or move to some other city.
He said that some lawyers had approached Maulana Sufi Muhammad and requested him to allow them to appear in the court. But the Maulana rejected their request and told them that their profession was against Sharia as they pleaded cases under the English law.
TNSM spokesman Ameer Izzat Khan expressed satisfaction over the decision to set up qazi court and said that it was the outcome of the two-year struggle of the people of Swat.
He said that Dar-ul-Qaza, the appellate forum, would soon start functioning. He added that qazi courts had started functioning and the people should cooperate with them.
Meanwhile Malakand’s Region Commissioner Syed Muhammad Jawed organised a flag march here to demonstrate the government’s resolve to restore its writ in the valley. The march passed through different areas and up to Khwazakhela.
In Peshawar, a meeting of the task force for enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in Malakand was held under the chairmanship of chief minister Ameer Haidar Khan Hoti.
The convener of the task force, ANP’s provincial president Senator Afrasiyab Khattak, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Arshad Abdullah, home secretary and secretary law attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the steps taken for the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl and expressed satisfaction over the situation in the valley. “The provincial government firmly adheres to the commitment made by it and for this purpose has been working sincerely,” Mr Hoti said. He expressed the hope that people’s reservations would be removed after the approval of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation by the president.
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Tuesday, 17 Mar, 2009 | 09:45 AM PST
http://dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/swat-sufi-asks-judges-to-keep-out-of-courts
Swat Sufi asks judges to keep out of courts
Addressing a press conference in Mingora, the Maulana announced that the qazi courts would start functioning on Tuesday and, therefore, judges should stop functioning.
He said the three-member Darul Qaza (appellate forum) for the Malakand division would soon start functioning.
Sources said that Sufi Mohammad’s announcement would disturb the Peshawar High Court, whose judicial officers renamed as qazis were functioning in Swat, and also the provincial government which had held several rounds of talks with the TNSM for restoring peace in the valley.
Sufi Mohammad said that after Feb 16 when the provincial government signed a joint declaration with the TNSM, all decision made by the judges were illegal.
“On that date the normal courts ceased to exist in Malakand division and Kohistan and they are no longer empowered to decide cases,” the Maulana said.
The sources said the statement of Sufi Mohammad was against the stand taken by the government that regular judicial officers would continue to serve as qazis.
They said that the high court had earlier asked the provincial government to clarify the position of its judicial officers.
“We are not part of the agreement signed by the government and Maulana Sufi Mohammad and it is now up to the government to take a decision in this regard,” a senior official of the high court said.
He said that earlier the government had informed them that the existing judicial system would continue to function in the division.
He said that after Sufi Mohammad’s announcement they tried to contact government officials but could not reach them.
The official said the proposed Nizam-i-Adl Regulation was yet to be promulgated and even in the regulation the proposed Darul Qaza had to function under an article of the Constitution dealing with the high court.
The TNSM chief said he would himself examine judgments to be delivered by the qazis and if a verdict was found in conflict with Sharia the qazi concerned would be replaced.
He said that the qazi courts would be set up in phases in other districts of the division, including Upper and Lower Dir, Shangla, Buner, Chitral and Malakand.
About the approval to the summary of the proposed Nizam-i-Adl Regulation by the president, Sufi Mohammad said there was no need of promulgating the regulation because provisions about enforcement of Sharia were already there in the existing regulation (Sharia Nizam-i-Adl).
About Darul Qaza, which would be the first appellate forum against decisions of the qazi court, he said that former district and sessions judge Amir Gulab Khan and Maulana Shamsul Haq had been selected as qazis for Darul Qaza and the third member would be selected soon.
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Friday, 13 Mar, 2009 | 04:12 AM PST
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/mingora-qazis-take-charge-in-swat
MINGORA: Qazis take charge in Swat
As part of another move towards peace in the region the NWFP government and Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) after thorough negotiations posted seven qazis in six tehsils of Swat to implement Nizam-i-Adl regulation.
The qazi courts in the six tehsils would be functional from Friday. The FC and police personnel also resumed their duties at police stations and other offices. The personnel would be deployed in different areas to implement government’s writ in the region.
The qazis were taken to their offices in a peace caravan of TNSM led by its chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad. Malakand division commissioner Mohammad Javed, DCO Khushal Khan, and DPO Dilawar Khan Bangash, and other officials were present on the occasion. Taliban leader commander Mehmood Khan, and peace jirga’s Syed Inamur Rehman and Engineer Sher Mohammad Shah and others participated in the caravan.
Qazi Pirzada Noor Mohammad Shah and Qazi Ihsanur Rehman were posted in Babozai tehsil (Mingora) Qazi Rasool Shah at Qazi Court tehsil kabal, Qazi Sajadur Rehman at tehsil Kabal, Qazi Riaz Ali at tehsil Matta, Qazi Mohammad Rehman at tehsil Khwazakhela, and Qazi Umar Ali Khan at Qazi Court tehsil Bahrain.
All the courts will start work from Friday and all cases registered from February 16 last would be conducted in accordance with Islamic Sharia and all conflicting laws would be considered annulled.
The cavalcade of Sufi Muhammad and qazis was left from Mingora to Barikot a large number local people on both sides of the road welcome them warmly.
Maulana Sufi Muhammad offered collective dua (prayer) after the shifting of the qazis to their respective offices. He expressed satisfaction over the whole process. The people of the area have welcomed the steps as a move forward for peace in the region.
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Takhtaband road opens under pact with Sufi
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, March 8: The Takhtaband road was opened to traffic after two months as part of an accord between the government and Tehrik Nefaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi to restore peace in Swat.
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Takhtaband road opens under pact with Sufi
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, March 8: The Takhtaband road was opened to traffic after two months as part of an accord between the government and Tehrik Nefaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi to restore peace in Swat.
A peace caravan of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi
Mohammad comprising hundreds of his associates and supporters left his Saidu
Sharif peace camp and went to the Takhtaband bypass area...
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12 Taliban freed after deal with TNSM
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By Hameedulah Khan
MINGORA, March 7: The government claimed it had made a breakthrough when it handed over on Saturday 12 Taliban militants to Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and assured it that Qazi courts would be set up by March 13. In return Taliban said they would allow the reopening of all roads.
The deal was reached at a meeting of
representatives of the government, TNSM and Taliban at the Circuit House in
Gulkada...
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Understanding reached with Sufi for Sharia enforcement
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, March 4: The government and the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi reached an understanding on Wednesday for enforcement of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand.
Soon after the 17-point understanding was reached,
security forces started vacating the Mamdheri centre, once headquarters of the
Swat Taliban...
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/understanding+reached+with+sufi+for+sharia+enforcement
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Swat peace accord suffers another setback
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, March 3: The Swat peace accord received another setback on Tuesday when militants killed two security personnel in an ambush in Ronyal village and kidnapped, but released after some time, three NWFP government officials.
Swat peace accord suffers another setback
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, March 3: The Swat peace accord received another setback on Tuesday when militants killed two security personnel in an ambush in Ronyal village and kidnapped, but released after some time, three NWFP government officials.
The military described the attack on security
personnel a violation of the peace agreement, but head of the
Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi Maulana Sufi Mohammad blamed the army for
moving around without informing the TNSM...
http://dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/swat+peace+accord+suffers+another+setback
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Kayani, Qureshi defend Swat peace deal
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 2: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani spent the past few days in Washington trying to convince the US administration and lawmakers that the Swat peace deal is not as bad as it sounds, says an influential US newspaper.
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Kayani, Qureshi defend Swat peace deal
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 2: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani spent the past few days in Washington trying to convince the US administration and lawmakers that the Swat peace deal is not as bad as it sounds, says an influential US newspaper.
In an editorial published on Monday, The
Washington Post quoted the two Pakistani leaders as saying that the Swat region
was distinctive and that only a mild version of sharia would be applied in the
valley...
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/kayani%2C+qureshi+defend+swat+peace+deal
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/kayani%2C+qureshi+defend+swat+peace+deal
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Asfandyar, Gilani discuss Swat security
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, March 2: A delegation of parliamentarians of the Awami National Party called on Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani here on Monday and discussed with him the situation in Swat and development projects in the NWFP.
Asfandyar, Gilani discuss Swat security
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, March 2: A delegation of parliamentarians of the Awami National Party called on Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani here on Monday and discussed with him the situation in Swat and development projects in the NWFP.
The prime minister told the delegation, led by ANP
president Asfandyar Wali Khan, that his government would continue efforts to
promote reconciliation and politics of tolerance...
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/asfandyar%2C+gilani+discuss+swat+security
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Anti-state forces out to derail Swat deal: Hoti
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, March 2: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has said that some foreign forces and anti-Pakistan elements who do not want peace in Swat are conspiring to sabotage the accord the government has reached with TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr Hoti warned that the same elements were trying to create misunderstanding between the two sides to undermine the peace initiative...
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/antistate+forces+out+to+derail+swat+deal+hoti
Anti-state forces out to derail Swat deal: Hoti
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, March 2: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has said that some foreign forces and anti-Pakistan elements who do not want peace in Swat are conspiring to sabotage the accord the government has reached with TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr Hoti warned that the same elements were trying to create misunderstanding between the two sides to undermine the peace initiative...
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/antistate+forces+out+to+derail+swat+deal+hoti
Monday, 02 Mar, 2009 | 07:07 AM PST
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Swat peace deal comes under pressure: Sufi gives March 15 deadline
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, March 1: The Swat peace accord came under severe pressure on Sunday when TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad demanded appointment of qazis and release of prisoners by March 15 as two Frontier Corps soldiers were injured in an attack on their convoy and an FC commandant was kidnapped.
The chief of
Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi said at a press conference that he was
dissatisfied with the steps taken by the NWFP government...
Swat peace deal comes under pressure: Sufi gives March 15 deadline
The chief of Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi said at a press conference that he was dissatisfied with the steps taken by the NWFP government.
The Maulana told newsmen that although the government had announced that the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation would be enforced in the Malakand division, the courts were still following un-Islamic laws.
He threatened to set up protest camps if the government did not enforce Sharia and the Taliban and the authorities did not release prisoners by March 15.
Immediately after the press conference, Malakand commissioner Syed Mohammad Jawed and Swat DCO Khushhal Khan held a meeting with Sufi Mohammad and reiterated the government’s commitment to enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation.
The commissioner announced that the TNSM chief himself would interview candidates for the posts of qazis to be appointed in the region before March 15.
He told newsmen he had received from the Maulana a list of prisoners who would be released in phases after scrutiny.
The commissioner’s statement about the appointment of qazis is a reversal of the stand taken by the provincial government that the qazis would be regular judicial officers, but in Malakand they would be called qazis.
On Saturday, however, TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat had said that his organisation was satisfied with the steps taken by the government.
Sufi Mohammad said that only those people would be appointed qazis who met the Sharia criteria, ‘in appearance, personal conduct and character’.
“Our basic objective is enforcement of Islamic Sharia,” he added.
He said that whoever violated the peace agreement, the government or the Taliban, would be held responsible in accordance with Sharia law.
Two FC soldiers were injured when a convoy transporting sick soldiers was attacked near Sirsanai area.
According to an FC press release, troops opened fire on militants after two bombs exploded near the convoy.
It called the attack a violation of the peace agreement and said security forces had urged the quarters concerned to rein in militants. The security forces were exercising maximum restraint, the press release added.
The district commandant of the Frontier Constabulary was kidnapped along with four guards and a driver in Kumbar area.
Official sources said commandant Ahsamuddin Khan was going to Mingora when the incident took place.
No one has claimed responsibility.
A few days ago, Swat DCO Khushhal Khan was taken away by militants from the same area. He was freed after a few hours.
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Militants declare indefinite Swat ceasefire
---------------------------------------------------------------By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 24: The Taliban announced on Tuesday an unconditional ceasefire for an indefinite period and ordered militants to stop attacks on security forces. They also asked all NGOs to leave Swat.
After the ceasefire announcement, the
militants released seven police and FC personnel...
Militants declare indefinite Swat ceasefire
After the ceasefire announcement, the militants released seven police and FC personnel.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the central Shura of Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat held somewhere in Matta tehsil. It was pre
sided over by Swat Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah who announced the decisions on his FM radio.
The meeting discussed proposals of Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad who had asked the Taliban to halt attacks on security forces, end road blockades and dismantle checkpoints to pave way for lasting peace in the valley.
Taliban spokesman Haji Muslim Khan told reporters on the phone that the meeting had agreed to change the 10-day truce into an indefinite ceasefire.
The freed FC and police personnel are Khyal Mohammad, Farooquddin, Nasir, Payo Gul, Sher Zaman, Akbar Khan and Irfanullah.
In his radio address, Maulana Fazlullah ordered his followers to stop patrolling streets and markets, attacking security personnel and kidnapping government officials. However, he said the Taliban would keep their weapons but would not carry them in public.
He announced a ban on activities of non-governmental organisations and asked them to leave Swat because they were a hurdle to the peace process.
The Maulana warned the government against sending additional security forces to Swat and said the movement of army should be restricted to specified places. The ration for troops should be in a specified quantity and for a specified period, he added.
The Maulana constituted a two-member committee comprising his commanders Mehmood Khan and Mohammad Alam Engineer to monitor the supply of ration for troops.
He authorised his father-in-law Maulana Sufi Mohammad, the TNSM chief, to determine the qualification of judges under the Nizam-i-Adl regulation and oversee their appointment.
This goes against the government’s demand that the power to appoint judges would rest with it and the new appointees would be law officers conversant with Islamic jurisprudence.
He allowed the TNSM to hold public meetings and said his men would provide security for such gatherings.
Meanwhile, the situation in Swat continued to improve and all private schools, including those for girls, and banks, offices and markets in Mingora and other towns in the south opened for the second day on Tuesday.
However, government schools for girls remained closed.
In the upper parts of the district, including Kabal, Matta and Charbagh, schools, offices and banks remained closed.
Several areas in the valley are without electricity.
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Swat deal a local solution to local problem: Qureshi
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb 24: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that the Swat peace deal was only a “local solution to a local problem.”
Swat deal a local solution to local problem: Qureshi
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By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb 24: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that the Swat peace deal was only a “local solution to a local problem.”
Talking to the media after a meeting with his
Afghan counterpart Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, the foreign minister insisted that the
Swat agreement would not affect Islamabad’s resolve to get rid of violent
extremism...
Swat deal a local solution to local problem: Qureshi
Talking to the media after a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, the foreign minister insisted that the Swat agreement would not affect Islamabad’s resolve to get rid of violent extremism.
“The logic behind this agreement is a local solution to a local problem, which is quick dispensation of justice. It is not any appeasement towards the militants,” he said.
The Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers are in Washington to participate in an ongoing review of the US policy towards their region. Director General ISI, Lt Gen Ahmad Shujah Pasha accompanied the Foreign Minister in the meeting with the Afghan delegation.
Mr Qureshi said Pakistan’s determination and resolve to defeat terrorism was as sound as it was and Pakistan was absolutely clear in its objectives.
The foreign minister pointed out that Swat was a princely state which had its own judicial system before it was merged with the federation.
He said the demand for a separate judicial system was a continuation of this tradition.
Mr Qureshi said that through this arrangement Pakistan had addressed procedural difficulties. “It is not a compromise, and there is no question of any capitulation. Pakistan will continue to do what it has to do in its own interest,” he added. He said he had assured his Afghan counterpart “that there is nothing to be apprehensive” about this arrangement.
Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta said the Afghan government had confidence in the Pakistani leadership. He said he “conveyed Afghanistan’s serious concern” on the Swat deal to the Pakistani Foreign Minister, who informed him of the situation in the valley.
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NWFP plans elite police force to combat militancy
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Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Feb 22: NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has ordered distribution of 30,000 assault rifles among villagers in different parts of the province and approved a plan to raise an elite police force comprising 2,500 personnel.
According to an announcement made by the provincial government on Sunday, the objective of the plan was to combat growing militancy and restore the government’s writ...
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/nwfp+plans+elite+police+force+to+combat+militancy
NWFP plans elite police force to combat militancy
According to an announcement made by the provincial government on Sunday, the objective of the plan was to combat growing militancy and restore the government’s writ.
The chief minister directed distribution of 30,000 rifles among peace groups and common people cooperating with police in the fight against terrorists and militants.
Mr Hoti also directed officials that ‘Village Defence Rifles’ should not be given to people involved in criminal activities. The weapons would be taken back from people who would not use them against terrorists, he said.
These rifles would be given to law-abiding people after the approval by station house officers of police stations in their areas and final approval by district coordination officers.
Mr Hoti also approved a plan to recruit 2500 personnel in the elite police force and 2,657 vacancies would be created for the purpose. The provincial government will also provide funds for the plan.
The chief minister approved an initial release of Rs200 million for raising the force. The federal government will be approached for additional funds for the project.
Mr Hoti said the plan required Rs3.27 billon and it would help government to counter acts of terrorism in different parts of the province.
ISPR warning
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said on Sunday that the military option was still open for the government if the Swat peace deal failed, our Staff Reporter in Islamabad adds.
“If it does not restore peace in the area, the government will have to go for other options, including military operation,” he told a news agency.
He said establishing peace in Swat was the basic requirement and all possible steps would be taken to ensure it.
Troops would stay in the valley and all options were open to the government, he said.
Stressing the need for modern equipment, he said their use would not only enhance the efficiency of the armed forces, but also help reduce collateral damage.
On the other hand, a spokesman for the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said the Swat district coordination officer had been kidnapped on Sunday because his group wanted to give a message to the government that such incidents would take place if the agreement was violated.
Call to understand deal
Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said on Sunday Pakistan had very clear policy regarding terrorism and extremism and the international community should understand Swat peace deal in perspective of the government’s policy of dialogue, development and deterrence, adds APP
Talking to a TV channel, he said international apprehensions about the Swat peace deal were based on speculations.
He said Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had issued several statements that Nizam-i-Adl regulation was in line with the Constitution.
He said that restoring peace in the country was the top priority and the government was utilising all options for achieving this objective.
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Kidnapped DCO swapped for two militants
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA: Taliban kidnapped the new District Coordination Officer of Swat, Khushhal Khan, on Sunday, but claimed that he was their guest and they had picked him up for “discussing important matters”.
A Taliban spokesman said late in the night that the official and his guards had been freed...
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/kidnapped+dco+swapped+for+two+militants
Kidnapped DCO swapped for two militants
A Taliban spokesman said late in the night that the official and his guards had been freed.
“We have released the official and his six guards in exchange for our two colleagues,” the spokesman, Muslim Khan, said.“The government has released our two men and they will soon release another. The government violated the agreement by arresting our men in Peshawar and killing one in Dir. Therefore, we had to do this,” he said.
The official was going to Mingora to take charge from his predecessor Shaukat Yousufzai when militants stopped his vehicle and took him and his guards to their centre in Qamber.
Despite a ceasefire, militants wearing masks have been patrolling the main road and they have set up checkpoints for vehicles.
This was the first incident of kidnapping of a senior government official in the valley after the NWFP government signed an agreement with Sufi Mohammad, the chief of the banned Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM), in Peshawar last Monday.
Malakand Commissioner Syed Mohammad Javed downplayed the incident and said the authorities were in contact with the official.
The Taliban spokesman had earlier admitted that Mr Khan had been “stopped for consultation on important issues”. “The DCO has not been kidnapped. He is our guest.”
Meanwhile, local Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah announced that girls would be allowed to sit their annual exams.
The private schools’ association in Swat announced that all educational institutions in the area would open from Monday and a spokesman urged girls to go to their schools.
Agencies add: “Such actions are detrimental to peace in the region,” NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said.
The militants’ spokesman had said: “He was in our area, so we consider him our guest and after serving him with tea,” he would continue his journey.
An intelligence official told AFP: “There are a lot of things which need to be settled after the agreement on sharia and militants might have done this to send a message to the administration not to venture deep into Taliban areas.”
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had instructed authorities to ensure an early and safe recovery of the administrator and his guards.
“The prime minister also directed the law enforcement agencies to keep a strict vigil on anti-state elements who wanted to impede the government’s efforts for restoration of peace and tranquillity in Swat and adjoining areas,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
In Mingora, Maulana Sufi Mohammad held a meeting with his advisers and discussed the situation in Swat, restoration of peace and imposition of sharia, his spokesman Ameer Izzat said.
“The maulana also took his advisers into confidence on negotiations with Fazlullah,” he added. People said life was returning to normal in the town under the temporary ceasefire. “Markets are crowded and traffic police are back on the roads,” a man said. “You feel at ease when going out... We can sleep fearlessly.
The dreadful gunfire we used to hear every night has ended. People are returning to their homes and several families in my neighbourhood have come back,” he said.
Regional police chief Shaukat Hayat asked all personnel who had fled during the unrest to return to duty.
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Foreigners to rebuild schools in Swat
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Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Feb 22: The Awami National Party (ANP) has said that international organisations have agreed to provide funds for the construction of the female schools destroyed in Swat district.
The private educational institutions in Swat had resumed functioning after the peace agreement, while the public sector institutions will re-open next month due to winter vacations, said working committee member of the ANP Gul Meena Bilal in a press statement on Sunday....
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/peshawar+foreigners+to+rebuild+schools+in+swat
PESHAWAR: Foreigners to rebuild schools in Swat
The private educational institutions in Swat had resumed functioning after the peace agreement, while the public sector institutions will re-open next month due to winter vacations, said working committee member of the ANP Gul Meena Bilal in a press statement on Sunday.
She said that the donor agencies had expressed satisfaction over the opening of schools in Swat after the peace agreement and had agreed to finance construction of the damaged schools.
Gul Meena said that the credit for peace goes to her party’s leadership and added that NWFP government was introducing reforms to address the problems faced by the women folk. The policies aiming to provide equal opportunities to men and women are being introduced in the province, she added.
The ANP-led government had been striving hard to create job opportunities for the females belonging to the backward areas of the province and in this regard help of the social sector had been sought.
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Deal acceptable in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan: US
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 20: The United States has rejected the truce in Swat but US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday that Washington could accept a similar agreement between the government and Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
The US rejection was conveyed by its special envoy Richard Holbrooke who called President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday evening to tell him that the Swat deal was tantamount to surrender by Pakistan...
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/deal+acceptable+in+afghanistan%2C+not+in+pakistan+us
Deal acceptable in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan: US
The US rejection was conveyed by its special envoy Richard Holbrooke who called President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday evening to tell him that the Swat deal was tantamount to surrender by Pakistan.
Later, Mr Holbrooke told CNN that the Pakistani leader had assured him that the Swat deal was only an “interim arrangement” to stabilise the restive region and that he had not yet signed an agreement with the militants.
In a separate briefing on Friday, Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Poland that the United States could accept a political agreement between the Afghan government and Taliban rebels along the lines of the Swat deal.
“We have said all along that ultimately some sort of political reconciliation has to be part of
the long-term solution in Afghanistan,” media reports quoted Mr Gates as saying.
Asked whether Washington would approve a Swat-like agreement between Kabul and Taliban guerrillas, Mr Gates replied: “If there is reconciliation, if insurgents are willing to put down their arms, if the reconciliation is essentially on the terms being offered by the government then I think we would be very open to that.”
The Swat deal, however, appears to have irked Mr Holbrooke who earlier this week also criticised the Pakistani military for not sharing President Zardari’s commitment to fighting the militants.
Pakistan has defended its effort to make a peace deal with the militants, saying that it was part of a pragmatic military and political strategy to turn Swat’s native populations against the terrorists.
Hard to understand
Ambassador Holbrooke, who returned from a fact-finding visit to South Asia earlier this week, rejected this argument.
“It’s hard to understand this deal in Swat, the area you’re talking about, less than 100 miles from the capital in Islamabad,” he said.
Mr Holbrooke described the Swat militants as “murderous thugs and militants (who) pose a danger not only to Pakistan, but to the United States and India”.
President Zardari, he said, “doesn’t disagree” with this description.
Asked whether President Zardari had given him a commitment to stop the accord, Ambassador Holbrooke said: “Well, he hasn’t signed the deal.”
“Will he?” the US envoy was asked.
“That I don’t know. But the issue isn’t whether he signs the deal or not, the issue is the negotiations themselves. And I’m concerned, and I know Secretary Clinton is, and the president (Obama) is, that this deal, which is portrayed in the press as a truce, is not -- does not turn into a surrender.”
Mr Holbrooke said that President Zardari had not only assured the US that Pakistan will not surrender to the militants but is also sending a very high- level delegation to Washington next week for talks on this and other issues.
The delegation will include the foreign minister and several senior military officials, Mr Holbrooke said. He said Pakistan’s army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and the head of ISI would also be in Washington next week for similar talks.
“And I can assure you, and President Zardari knows this, that this (the Swat deal) will be the top initial subject of conversation,” said Ambassador Holbrooke.
Mr Holbrooke was then asked to comment on a recent statement by the former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, who said: “Pakistan has everything that gives you an international migraine. It has nuclear weapons. It has terrorism, extremists, corruption, very poor, and it’s in a location that’s really, really important to us.”
“How worried are you?” Ambassador Holbrooke was asked.
“This is a legitimate concern. The United States cannot ignore it. The American intelligence community has briefed us,” he said. “But we have been assured by the American intelligence community that this arsenal is under the control of the Pakistan military. But it’s an issue of high concern and it can’t be ignored.”
Ambassador Holbrooke, who brokered a peace deal in Bosnia, was asked what was harder: Bosnia or his present assignment in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“This is harder … much harder,” he replied.
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TNSM claims progress in talks with Taliban
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 20: The Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) has claimed a breakthrough in talks with the Swat Taliban amid reports that militants are likely to extend the 10-day ceasefire they announced on Monday.
TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said the groups chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad met local Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah, his son-in-law, at an unspecified place. He said the talks were fruitful and negotiations would continue....
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/tnsm+claims+progress+in+talks+with+taliban
TNSM claims progress in talks with Taliban
TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said the group’s chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad met local Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah, his son-in-law, at an unspecified place. He said the talks were fruitful and negotiations would continue.
“We will give good news to people of Swat soon,” he told Dawn, adding that peace would be restored.
“We have conveyed to them that ‘Sharia law’ has been put into effect and there was no need for any more resistance,” he said.
Sufi Mohammad, meanwhile, continued his peace march and visited militants’ strongholds with thousands of his supporters wearing black turbans. People carrying the group’s black and white banners marched in different areas of Matta subdivision.
Thousands of people received the TNSM leader and raised slogans calling for peace.
The TNSM spokesman said he was optimistic the Taliban would extend ceasefire. The militants announced the 10-day ceasefire after Sufi Mohammad had signed a peace agreement with the NWFP government in Peshawar.
According to sources, the TNSM chief has decided to stay in Deulai area of Kabal subdivision till the restoration of peace.
Normality is returning to Mingora and other parts of Swat.
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Gilani links Nizam-i-Adl bill with peace in region
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Friday an ordinance for enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl in Malakand would be promulgated after restoration of peace in the region.
Talking to reporters after attending the convocation of the Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, he said a committee formed in the joint session of parliament had supported the Swat peace deal....
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/gilani+links+nizamiadl+bill+with+peace+in+region
Gilani links Nizam-i-Adl bill with peace in region
Talking to reporters after attending the convocation of the Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, he said a committee formed in the joint session of parliament had supported the Swat peace deal.
About doubts and reservations expressed by some countries over the Swat agreement he said: “Whatever we are doing is within the ambit of the Constitution and is part of our three-pronged policy of dialogue, deterrence and development.”
Responding to a question, he said no final decision had yet been taken about sending an FIA team to India for the Mumbai attack probe. However, he said Pakistan was “seriously considering” the request to send investigators to India to share information.
About the forthcoming Senate elections, Mr Gilani said efforts were under way to get candidates elected unopposed in the NWFP and Balochistan, like in Sindh and Punjab.
He said the government was in contact with other political parties and some progress had been made.
He particularly referred to contacts with the Chaudhrys of Gujrat and said the bitterness of the past should now be forgotten.
The prime minister played down Governor Salman Taseer’s fresh threat to topple the Punjab government and said “what we want is reconciliation”.
When asked if his cabinet was now complete or any expansion was still possible, he said he could not say if it was complete or incomplete, but a reshuffle was always a possibility.
Earlier, the prime minister said at the convocation that the government was facing a lot of challenges, particularly in the NWFP and would adopt a policy which would be in the best interest of the country.
He said parallel governments would never be allowed and the writ of the government and the will of the people would have to be respected.
He stressed the need for taking into account the ground realities and said that root causes of terrorism, including poverty, hunger, disease and joblessness, should be addressed.
He said the government would give priority to education, particularly the higher education, for socio-economic development of the country.
He, however, said the government alone could not accomplish the gigantic task and the private sector had to come forward for promoting the education sector.
He said the government was pursuing a policy of promoting higher education under which faculties and students would be offered scholarship besides access to latest technology and international journals.
He said the higher education was recognised as capital investment and was of paramount important for socio-economic development.
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Reshuffle in Malakand administration
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By Mohammad Ali Khan
PESHAWAR, Feb 20: The NWFP government has made major changes in the civil administration governing the Malakand region by replacing the commissioner and district coordination officers of the troubled Swat and Upper Dir districts.
According to a notification issued by the establishment and administration department on Thursday night, Hazara Region Commissioner Syed Javed Ahmad, a Grade 20 officer from the District Management Group (DMG), has been transferred and posted as commissioner of Malakand by replacing Abdul Karim Khattak, who will proceed on a mandatory training course...
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/peshawar+reshuffle+in+malakand+administration
PESHAWAR: Reshuffle in Malakand administration
According to a notification issued by the establishment and administration department on Thursday night, Hazara Region Commissioner Syed Javed Ahmad, a Grade 20 officer from the District Management Group (DMG), has been transferred and posted as commissioner of Malakand by replacing Abdul Karim Khattak, who will proceed on a mandatory training course.
Similarly, the DCOs of Swat and Upper Dir, being supervised by the Malakand commissioner, have been replaced with two officers from the District Management Group.
According to the notification, Khushal Khan (DMG BS-18), director general of the Community Infrastructure Project, has been transferred and posted as the DCO of Swat by replacing Shaukat Khan Yousufzai, who has been posted as the DCO of Haripur in his own pay and scale.
Similarly, Atif Rehman (DMG BS-18), DCO of Haripur, has been transferred and posted as the DCO of Upper Dir by replacing Sher Bahadur (PCS EG BS-19), who has been directed to report to the establishment and administration department.
The changes in the civil administrative setup are seen in the backdrop of the recent deal between the government and the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Sharia-i-Muhammadi for promulgation of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in the Malakand region.
The newly-posted commissioner, it is said, is acceptable to the religious circles of the troubled region, which can be helpful in bringing normalcy to the area.
When contacted, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain maintained that the replacement of the commissioner was a routine process because the officer holding the post was supposed to attend a mandatory training course.
He, however, conceded that the replacement of the DCOs of Swat and Upper Dir had been made on a request of the new commissioner, which he said would help ensure peace in the area.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Azim Khan Afridi, district and session judge (BS-21), has been posted as presiding officer of the Labour Court, Mardan, against the vacant post.
Similarly, the provincial government has placed the services of Abdul Ghafoor Baig (PCS EG BS-19) at the disposal of the Benazir Income Support Programme for further posting as regional director for Abbottabad on deputation basis for three years.
Likewise, through another notification, the provincial government repatriated Mohammad Imtiaz, presently posted as project director, NWFP Auqaf department, to his parent department, the Ministry of Housing and Works, Islamabad.
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Govt dismisses criticism of Swat deal as ‘speculative’
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By Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The government on Thursday dismissed as speculative the growing criticism of the accord signed with the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi for introduction of Nizam-i-Adl in Malakand, warning speculations would not be helpful.
“Establishing peace, security and stability are
matters of highest priority for Pakistan government and it will use all
necessary means to achieve these objectives,” said Foreign Office spokesman
Abdul Basit at a weekly media briefing...
Govt dismisses international criticism over sharia deal
Supporters of Pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Mohammad march in Swat's main city of Mingora.—AP
ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday dismissed as speculative the growing criticism of the accord signed with the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi for introduction of Nizam-i-Adl in Malakand, warning speculations would not be helpful.
‘Establishing peace, security and stability are matters of highest priority for Pakistan government and it will use all necessary means to achieve these objectives,’ said Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit at a weekly media briefing.
His comments came as the US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, in his fresh criticism of the peace accord said the US was ‘troubled and confused’ about what happened in Swat because ‘it is not an encouraging trend’.
He termed the situation very serious and cautioned against the area being ceded to ‘bad guys’.
The US is likely to take up the Swat peace deal with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi when he visits Washington next week. Previously, Nato and Britain had severely criticised the accord, both fearing that the situation in Swat would worsen.
Mr Basit said the government was engaged with the international community and putting across its viewpoint.
He said the accord was part of government’s three-pronged strategy — dialogue, deterrence and development.
Allaying concerns about enforcement of Sharia in the valley, the spokesman explained that the Nizam-i-Adl meant ‘system of justice’, which was linked to the restoration of peace and tranquillity.
He reassured the international community that Pakistan remained fully committed to rooting out terrorism. ‘Pakistan attaches immense importance to eliminating militancy and terrorism,’ he said
SPECIAL ENVOYS: Almost a month after welcoming Mr Holbrooke’s appointment as US special envoy, Pakistan’s enthusiasm for special envoys appears to be waning. On Thursday the Foreign Office spokesman, in comments on the appointment of a special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan by Germany, said the experience showed that partial solutions did not work.
Mr Basit called for addressing the underlying causes of regional problems.
He said Pakistan could only hope that these initiatives helped formulate fresh and effective approaches to the challenges facing the country.
US POLICY REVIEW: The spokesman said the government welcomed the US decision to review its policy towards Pakistan and Afghanistan.
‘It is important to have a policy that is credible and sustainable. It must be in consonance with the imperative of peace, security and prosperity of the region.’
He said Pakistan was expecting a positive change in the US approach to drone attacks.
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US ‘troubled and confused’ about sharia deal: Holbrooke
Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke. -File Photo
WASHINGTON: The United States was not sure if the Pakistani military and ISI backed President Asif Ali Zardari’s commitment to eradicate terrorist sanctuaries from the NWFP, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Thursday.
Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, in his first media interview since he returned from a fact-finding mission to South Asia earlier this week, said this issue ‘will be pursued at very high levels’ in US-Pakistan talks scheduled in Washington next week.
Ambassador Holbrooke also linked this week’s peace agreement in Swat to the military’s reluctance to support President Zardari’s anti-terrorism policies and said the US was ‘troubled and confused’ about this deal.
Unlike her special envoy, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared more willing to give Pakistan a chance to explain how and why it concluded a deal with the militants in Swat.
‘We are trying to determine exactly what was agreed to,’ she said in an interview to ABC television released by the State Department on Thursday.
‘There have been some contradictory reports about what was or wasn't agreed to and I want to wait until I have a full understanding before I comment,’ she added.
Diplomatic observers in the United States see this as a ‘good-cop-bad-cop’ strategy aimed at extracting maximum cooperation from Pakistan in the war against terrorists.
They noted that while underlining the military’s lack of commitment, Mr Holbrooke forgot to mention that the army had deployed more than 120,000 troops along the Afghan border and more than 1,000 Pakistani soldiers have already been killed in this fight.
He also makes no attempt to understand Pakistan’s position on Swat where the army wants to avoid being sucked into a situation which forces it to launch a massive military action against its people.
‘We are attempting to drive a wedge between al Qaeda and the militant Taliban on the one hand, and Swat's indigenous movement that seeks to restore traditional law in the district,’ said Husain Haqqani, the Pakistani ambassador in Washington, while explaining why Islamabad made a pact with the militants.
‘This is part of a pragmatic military and political strategy to turn our native populations against the terrorists, to isolate and marginalise the terrorists.’
‘Well, this is a very important question which we're exploring in depth now,’ said Ambassador Holbrooke when asked if the Pakistani military shared President Zardari’s commitment to the fight against terrorists.
‘I've rarely seen in my years in Washington an issue which is so hotly disputed internally by experts and intelligence officials as the one you raised.’
He said that the US was engaged in ‘very intense discussions with the military leadership of Pakistan and the ISI’ about this particular issue.
‘We're troubled and confused, in a sense, about what happened in Swat, because it is not an encouraging trend. Previous cease-fires have broken down. And we do not want to see transparently ceded to the bad guys, and the people who took over Swat are very bad people.’
In his interview to an American television network, PBS, Ambassador Holbrooke, however, acknowledged that ‘it's a little early to come to final conclusions.’
He said the US has invited Pakistani and Afghan foreign ministers to Washington next week to participate in the process for formulating a new US strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Pakistani delegation, he said, would also include military representatives and the issue of the military’s commitment to the war on terror will be pursued at very high levels in next week’s dialogue.
Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani is also coming to Washington on Sunday for a week-long visit and will meet senior US officials and generals.
As Ambassador Holbrooke indicated, Gen. Kiyani may also have to encounter this issue during his talks with American officials.
Even while responding to a question about US President Barack Obama’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, Ambassador Holbrooke used Pakistan as an example to show how the militants were expanding their influence in the region.
‘The Taliban are resurgent. They have an increasingly large sanctuary in Pakistan. The events in Swat only highlight that,’ he said.
The ‘denial of the Afghan territory to al Qaeda is not, in my view, anything beyond an interim necessity. After all, al Qaeda is operating freely in the tribal areas of western Pakistan,’ he added.
Ambassador Holbrooke said that the Obama administration’s decision to include both Afghanistan and Pakistan in the review process was a manifestation of ‘a new, intense, engaged diplomacy designed to put Afghanistan and Pakistan into a larger regional context and move forward to engage other countries in the effort to stabilise this incredibly volatile region.’
He said that last week he went to Pakistan’s tribal areas but was unable to land in Bajaur because of the fighting.
‘(We) saw the flattened villages, and then we insisted that we land, and we landed in the next tribal area just south of it and talked at length to the people on the ground, an unannounced stop, about the war.’
He said that in Peshawar he heard from citizens that they could not walk their dogs or drive to Islamabad without risking their lives. ‘A national assemblyman was killed the day we were there,’ he added.
‘Even in faraway Lahore, the Pakistanis were traumatised, in a state of real near shock at the fall of Swat, which is, after all, a resort they all went to for vacations.’
Asked if India and Pakistan were engaged in a regional competition in Afghanistan, Mr Holbrooke noted that the Pakistan army has been focused on India for decades.
‘Most of us believe that they ought to reorient their attention much more to the west. But in order to do that, there has to be much more confidence between Pakistan and India,’ he added.
‘We have got to understand that to get the Pakistanis to focus on the west; we have to have a reduction in tensions between India and Pakistan.’
The interviewer, Jim Lehrer, reminded him that during the election campaign President Obama had advocated US involvement in resolving the Kashmir dispute. ‘Is this going to be an Obama administration goal?’ he asked. ‘It is not part of my mission to work on Kashmir,’ said Mr Holbrooke.
Hillary Clinton: In her interview to ABC, Secretary Clinton focused on the international economic crisis, warning that if left unresolved, it will create massive unemployment, upend governments and breed instability.
‘Look at Pakistan, a country that we know has to be stabilized for the benefit of not only South Asia, but beyond. It is where the terrorists and their allies have found haven. But the economy in Pakistan is under even greater pressure now because of the global economic crisis,’ she said.
‘If Pakistan becomes more financially unstable, that increases the danger that we will face from the threat by the extremists to the Pakistan government.’
Asked for comments on the Swat peace deal, Secretary Clinton said she would want to get the whole picture of what the Pakistanis were attempting to achieve before offering any comments.
‘There were, as I said, some contradictory communications from the government as to what was really going on, and we want to sort that out before we say anything.’
Asked if the deal was cause of concern for Washington, Secretary Clinton said: ‘The entire situation in Pakistan is a concern. That's why we are conducting a policy review that looks at Pakistan and Afghanistan. That's why, when the President and I decided to have a special representative, it was for both Afghanistan and Pakistan.’
She said the US understood that the instability in Pakistan, the safe haven given to al Qaeda and to the Taliban, the alliances among the extremist groups, was a threat to the stability of the Pakistani government, a threat to the stability of Afghanistan, and a much broader threat to the region and to the US.
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Breakthrough in Sufi-Fazlullah talks, ceasefire to extend
Taliban said they may extend the Swat ceasefire as TNSM reported a breakthrough in the Sufi-Fazlullah talks. — AP
MINGORA: A breakthrough occurred during
the talks between TNSM (Tehrik-i-Nifaaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi) chief
Sufi Mohammad and Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah on Friday, news
reports quoted a TNSM spokesman as saying.
Separately, the Taliban said they would probably extend a ceasefire in Swat.
Sufi Mohammad, who forsook militancy when he was released last year, is seeking to persuade the Taliban to lower their guns and accept the government's offer to instate Islamic law across large tracts of the northwest, including Swat.
For all the
talk of a rift between Sufi Mohammad and Mullah Fazlullah, who led a
Taliban insurgency in Swat in late 2007, there was little sign of any
dissonance when they met.
'There's no difference,' said Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan.
'Hopefully,
you'll hear a good news in one or two days,' he added, referring to the
chances of a ceasefire being extended beyond the middle of next week.
Critics
in the west and in Pakistan fear the government had caved in to
militants, and appeasement may result in Swat valley becoming another
safe haven for the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Pakistan fears that using force would fuel insurgencies spreading through the northwest.
The position of weakness that the government has negotiated from was demonstrated by its choice of peacemaker.
MULLAH RADIO
Sufi
Mohammad led a revolt in 1994 in an attempt to bring Islamic sharia law
back to Swat, and went on to lead an army of thousands of tribesmen in
an attempt to help Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters hold off US-led forces
in 2001.
Yet Mohammad is seen as more
amenable than Fazlullah, who emerged as the leader of the militants in
Swat while the older man remained in prison for six years.
Arrested
on his return after the ill-fated mission to Afghanistan, Mohammad was
released last year in the hope that he could prevail over Fazlullah,
who is also known as 'Mullah Radio' because of his preaching jihad over
illegal FM radio.
Many analysts suspect
Mohammad has lost a lot of his influence over Fazlullah, as the younger
man has forged ties with other Taliban groups and al-Qaeda.
When
the two met at the Taliban stronghold in Matta village outside Mingora,
the main town in Swat, Fazlullah handed over a list of demands.
'They
met and discussed how peace will return here and what actions need to
be taken for it,' said Taliban spokesman Khan, adding that Mohammad was
expected to make the Taliban's case to the government.
Taliban fighters now control most of the valley, just 130 km north of Islamabad.
Between
250,000 and 500,000 people have fled Swat during that time, according
to Amnesty International, and at least 1,200 civilians have been killed
in the region.
The killing of a
journalist on Wednesday by unidentified gunmen as he covered Mohammad's
peace march to Matta on Wednesday, has added to a sense of foreboding
that goes all the way to Washington.
Richard
Holbrooke, special US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, expressed his
alarm on Thursday over the deal with militants and said he had
telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari.
Zardari described the pact with the militants as an 'interim arrangement' to stabilise the Swat region, Holbrooke said.
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Fazl welcomes Swat accord
JUI-F leader Maulana Fazl
described Swat Sharia deal as a good beginning for restoration of peace
in the region.—APP/File Photo
KARACHI: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has welcomed
enforcement of ‘Nizam-i-Adl’ in Swat, but pointed out that it is the
third agreement signed by a government in this respect.
Similar accords had been signed in 1994 and 1999 after popular movements in Malakand, the JUI-F chief said at the Meet the Press programme of Karachi Press Club on Thursday.
Describing it as a good beginning for restoration of peace in the region, he said he would like to ask the democratic forces ‘who did not believe in the politics at the gunpoint but in the supremacy of parliament’ how was a secular party enforcing Sharia.
He said the Hasba Bill had been enforced after discussion and adoption by the NWFP assembly. Even after removal of clauses which were declared to be in contravention of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, the bill was rejected by the democratic forces which termed it a ‘martial law of maulvis’, he said.
‘Don’t you think it was a joke with democracy? How come the believers in Sharia were afraid of enforcement of Sharia?’ he asked.
He said the Constitution called for making all laws conform to the teachings of Holy Quran and Sunnah. The Council of Islamic Ideology had been formed to enforce Sharia laws with consensus. The council had made recommendations for legislation after examining 6,000 laws. Why were its recommendations being ignored? he asked.
He said measures should be taken to implement the council’s recommendations.
He said there was no movement anywhere for enforcement of Sharia when JUI-F had formed the provincial government in the NWFP after the 2002 election. The party had taken the initiative and introduced the Hasba Bill after holding seminars and discussing it with intellectuals, but former president Pervez Musharraf created hurdles in its enforcement and rejected it, although all the clauses which had drawn objections had been removed.
Maulana Fazl said the Lal Masjid incident had engulfed the country into flames and even today there was no writ of the government in any district of the province.
He said incidents of kidnapping for ransom and murder were taking place, but people were not lodging cases because they did not believe in a government whose DIGs of police were afraid of wearing their uniform and had changed the number-plates of their vehicles.-----------
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Countrywide protests against killing of Swat journalist
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Dawn Report
ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Meetings and rallies were held across the country on Thursday on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against the murder of Musa Khankhel in Swat.
In Mingora, scores of journalists wearing black
bands held a demonstration to condemn the killing of the correspondent for The
News and Geo Television. They urged the government to arrest the killers...
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Journalist gunned down in Swat: Govt urged to ensure safety of mediamen
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 18: A journalist, Musa Khankhel, was killed in Matta Tehsil of Swat on Wednesday.
Journalist gunned down in Swat: Govt urged to ensure safety of mediamen
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 18: A journalist, Musa Khankhel, was killed in Matta Tehsil of Swat on Wednesday.
The correspondent for The News and Geo TV
was kidnapped in Matta, where he was covering the visit of Tehrik
Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, and his bullet-riddled
body was found near Dedpani....
Journalist gunned down in Swat: Govt urged to ensure safety of mediamen
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The correspondent for The News and Geo TV was kidnapped in Matta, where he was covering the visit of Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, and his bullet-riddled body was found near Dedpani. The killing came two days after the government signed an agreement with Sufi Mohammad for restoring normality to Swat. At least eight media personnel have been killed in the violence-hit areas of the Frontier province and the tribal areas during the current turmoil. Mr Khankhel had been working as a journalist since 1999. He had expressed fears for his life more than once after militancy engulfed Swat. He received three bullets wounds in the head and chest. Journalists’ organisations decided to observe Thursday as a black day to mourn the killing. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) called for protests against the murder and termed it most “tragic and brutal”. It also condemned the destruction of the Wana Press Club in a blast on Tuesday night. “A journalist has become the first victim after the peace deal in Swat, which is most alarming,” a PFUJ statement said. Musa Khan, brother of another journalist, Essa Khan of The Nation, gave his last ‘beeper’ today, before he himself became news,” it said. He was the fourth journalist to have been killed in Swat during the past one year and 20th in two years. The figures reflected the extent of violence against journalists in Pakistan, it said. “We salute the bravery of journalists working in the tribal areas, Swat and other conflict zones without any safety or security,” the PFUJ said. It called upon media houses not to send journalists to ‘danger zones’ without safety training, insurance and safety jackets. “Journalism is a risky business and journalists in these dangerous areas have been working for several years, but that does not mean that they should not be provided safety and security,” it said. The PFUJ urged the government to investigate the murder and arrest those responsible as soon as possible. It offered condolences to Musa’s family and commended his professionalism. The Karachi Union of Journalists also condemned the killing and said it would hold a march from Karachi Press Club to Governor’s House on Friday. Agencies add: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the murder of Musa Khankhel and condoled with his family. They ordered the provincial authorities to investigate the matter and submit a report immediately. The prime minister directed the NWFP government and law enforcement agencies to apprehend the killers. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik sought a report from the NWFP police chief on the murder. He said the government would give the killers an exemplary punishment. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman termed the murder an attack on freedom of the press. The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) urged the government to take steps for the safety of journalists. In a statement, CPNE secretary-general Khushnood Ali Khan called upon the government to take notice of the incident which had taken place after the restoration of peace in Swat. He noted that the killers were yet to be arrested and demanded that they should be taken to task. He said journalists should be allowed to work freely in the area. Mr Khushnood said the CPNE standing committee would discuss in its meeting scheduled for Saturday dangers being faced by journalists throughout the country. He said many journalists had lost their lives because of a lack of resolve on the part of the government. |
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March for peace by Sufi’s followers
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Feb 18: A large number of activists and supporters of the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi held a ‘peace march’ in the main bazaar here on Wednesday. They later went to Matta, a stronghold of the Taliban.
March for peace by Sufi’s followers
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Feb 18: A large number of activists and supporters of the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi held a ‘peace march’ in the main bazaar here on Wednesday. They later went to Matta, a stronghold of the Taliban.
Addressing the participants, TNSM chief Maulana
Sufi Mohammad said that the purpose of the march was to restore confidence of
the people of Swat. “The day is not far when peace will return to Swat.”...
|
Addressing the participants, TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad said that the purpose of the march was to restore confidence of the people of Swat. “The day is not far when peace will return to Swat.” He said the TNSM had shifted its movement to Swat and would stay in the valley until peace was restored and Sharia introduced in its ‘true sense’. Maulana Sufi said: “We will hold talks with the Taliban and urge them to lay down arms. The aim of both Taliban and TNSM is to enforce Sharia in Malakand division. It has been achieved and now there is no justification for taking up arms and attacking government installations.” He expressed hope that the Taliban would not let him down and work for permanent peace in the region. “I ask you (Taliban militants) to remain peaceful. The government has accepted all our demands and a peace agreement has been reached with the NWFP government for the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl,” he advised his followers. The TNSM leader said that problems of the people of Malaknd and Kohistan would be solved after the enforcement of Islamic system and there would be a durable peace in near future. Thousands of people, waving black and white flags and reciting verses from the Holy Quran, marched to bazaars in Mingora. They chanted slogans like “Allah-o-Akbar” and “We want peace and Sharia”. Maulana Sufi walked behind several rows of followers marching hand-in-hand. Maulana Sufi also addressed a crowd of jubilant supporters in Matta, the stronghold of Taliban militants loyal to his son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah. A large number of people have left Swat and moved to safer places because of the military operation against militants. Meanwhile, senior provincial minister Bashir Bilor told reporters in Mingora that he saw no problem in implementing the agreement reached with Maulana Sufi. He expressed the hope that normality would return to Swat and Nizam-i-Adl regulation would be implemented in its true spirit. |
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US in wait-and-see mode over Swat deal
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 18: The United States said on Wednesday it would wait for the results before offering any comments on a peace deal between the Swat militants and Pakistani authorities.
The cautious US reaction – given at a regular
briefing at the State Department – contrasts sharply with that of America’s Nato
allies described the truce as “certainly a reason for concern”....
US in wait-and-see mode over Swat deal
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The cautious US reaction – given at a regular briefing at the State Department – contrasts sharply with that of America’s Nato allies described the truce as “certainly a reason for concern”. “We’re in discussions or we’re in contact with the government of Pakistan, and we’ll see what the results of their policy will be,” said US State Department’s deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid, when asked for comments. On Tuesday, Mr Duguid told a similar briefing that the introduction of Islamic law was “within the constitutional framework of Pakistan” and that it was not “an issue for anyone outside of Pakistan to discuss”. Asked for further update on the agreement between the militants and Pakistani authorities that may lead to the introduction of religious laws in the Swat valley, Mr Duguid said: “We leave it where we had it yesterday. We’re watching the situation.”After the State Department’s initial reaction, a Nato spokesman, James Appathurai, told reporters in Brussels that “we should all be concerned by a situation in which extremists would have a safe haven”. He said he did not want to “doubt the good faith of the Pakistani government,” but it’s clear that the region was “suffering very badly from extremists and we would not want it to get worse”. Diplomatic observers in Washington say that the cautious US reaction indicates that Pakistan had kept the Americans in the loop and for them the deal was not unexpected. They point out that the special US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, was in Islamabad days before the Swat deal was announced and it’s highly impro- bable that Islamabad would not have consulted him before announcing the accord. The observers, however, noted that the US reaction was not much different from its response to a similar deal with the militants in North Waziristan in September 2006. Instead of rejecting the deal outrightly, the Bush administration had said that it would wait to see if it actually led to peace in the region. Later, the Americans rejected the deal saying that it allowed the militants to regroup and rearm and launch fresh attacks into Afghanistan. American observers are expressing similar doubts about the Swat deal. “I would have thought that the example of previous agreements in North and South Waziristan would have led Islamabad to doubt the utility of such deals,” said Robert M. Hathaway, director, Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington. “It would seem to indicate that in Pakistan, as elsewhere, power does indeed grow out of the barrel of a gun, rather than through the ballot box.” Kasab’s extradition At the State Department, spokesman Gordon was also asked if the US supported Islamabad’s demand for handing over Ajmal Kasab, the chief suspect in the Mumbai terror attacks, to Pakistan. “I think that he should be put through a judicial process and that that judicial process should be fair and transparent,” said Mr Duguid. “But I don’t have an opinion on whether he should be extradited or not. That would be between India and Pakistan.” The spokesman said the US was working with both sides in order to help bring all of the attackers in Mumbai to justice and noted that the Pakistanis had taken some steps to help the Indians in their investigations. Responding to a question about John Solecki, a UN official of American origin who was kidnapped earlier this month in Quetta, Mr Duguid said he should be released immediately and without condition. He said while the US was very concerned about Mr Solecki’s safety, he was a UN employee and the United Nations was the lead agency in this matter. |
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Wednesday, 18 Feb, 2009 | 03:55 AM PST |
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Sufi in Mingora to play the role of saviour
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Feb 17: Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad urged the people of Swat on Tuesday to support efforts for peace so that the
region was put back on the path to progress and prosperity.
(According to AP news agency, Maulana Sufi
said his party would soon hold talks with the Taliban. “We will ask them to lay
down their weapons. We are hopeful that they will not let us down,” Maulana Sufi
told reporters. “We will stay here in the valley until peace is
restored.”)...
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Feb 17: Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad urged the people of Swat on Tuesday to support efforts for peace so that the region was put back on the path to progress and prosperity.
(According to AP news agency, Maulana Sufi said his party would soon hold talks with the Taliban. “We will ask them to lay down their weapons. We are hopeful that they will not let us down,” Maulana Sufi told reporters. “We will stay here in the valley until peace is restored.”)
Addressing a large number of people and TNSM workers here, Maulana Sufi praised the people of Swat for putting up a fight for the enforcement of Sharia in Malakand division and Kohistan district of Hazara division.
He said the Islamic system would bring about revolutionary changes to the lives of ordinary people.
Maulana Sufi arrived at the head of a caravan of some 300 vehicles in Mingora, a day after he struck a peace agreement with the ANP-led NWFP government. Thousands of people lined the route to welcome the cleric.
Maulana Sufi urged the people to unite under the banner of TNSM and assured them that their problems would be solved after the enforcement of Sharia.
“Our long-standing demand for Sharia has been accepted and it is now our responsibility to work for its success.”
He announced shifting his ‘peace camp’ from Dir to Swat.
A TNSM spokesman, Amir Izzat Khan, told reporters that the party leadership had expressed ‘satisfaction’ over the peace agreement reached with the provincial government. He said Sharia in its “true sense” had been introduced to the region.
He said the TNSM had shifted its movement to Swat after “victory” in Dir. “We will soon contact Swat’s Taliban leaders and talks with them would succeed in the first round,” he hoped.
Sources said that a three-member committee, comprising TNSM’s leaders Maulana Safiullah, Amir Izzat Khan and Bacha Sardar, had been set up for talks with the Taliban. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s central committee in Mingora on Tuesday night.
ISPR’s assurance
The military on Tuesday vowed to hold fire and respect an agreement signed between the government and militants to enforce Sharia in the violence-torn Swat valley.
“The army works on the government’s orders. The government has given it orders to hold fire. The army will not take any offensive action,” chief military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told AFP.
The army will ‘certainly’ respect the agreement, he said.
“The army went there (Swat) at the request of the government. Whenever the government feels normalcy has been restored and the writ of government has been re-established, it will leave,” he said.
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Constitution of Pakistan has provision for Islamic law: US
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 17: The US State Department said on Tuesday that there was provision for the Islamic law in the Pakistani Constitution and the government’s decision to introduce religious laws in the Swat valley was not an issue for anyone outside Pakistan.
Constitution of Pakistan has provision for Islamic law: US
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 17: The US State Department said on Tuesday that there was provision for the Islamic law in the Pakistani Constitution and the government’s decision to introduce religious laws in the Swat valley was not an issue for anyone outside Pakistan.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was
equally careful when asked to comment on an agreement between Pakistani
authorities and the Swat militants that allows for the implementation of Sharia
in the valley...
http://dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/the-paper/front-page/constitution+of+pakistan+has+provision+for+islamic+law+us
Constitution of Pakistan has provision for Islamic law: US
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Govt says accord not a sign of weakness
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, at a meeting here on Tuesday, reviewed the Swat peace accord and expressed the hope it would pave way for permanent peace in the country.
Constitution of Pakistan has provision for Islamic law: US
|
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was equally careful when asked to comment on an agreement between Pakistani authorities and the Swat militants that allows for the implementation of Sharia in the valley. She told reporters in Tokyo that the United States was studying the agreement and was trying to understand the Pakistani government’s “intention and the actual agreed-upon language”. But the secretary warned that “activity by the extremist elements in Pakistan poses a direct threat to the government of Pakistan as well as to the security of the United States, Afghanistan and a number of other nations not only in the immediate region”. Pakistani authorities say the accord, which aims to end 20 months of fighting in the Swat valley, is in the country’s best interests and doesn’t represent a victory for Taliban insurgents. At the State Department, deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid echoed what Pakistani officials had said while defending the Swat agreement. “The Islamic law is within the constitutional framework of Pakistan,” he said. “So I don’t know that that is particularly an issue for anyone outside of Pakistan to discuss, certainly not from this podium.” When a reporter described the agreement as a peace treaty between the Taliban and the government of Pakistan, Mr Duguid said: “I’m not sure about your characterisation of what has gone on in Pakistan. I refer you to the government of Pakistan for a better readout of that.” He said the United States was discussing the issue with the government in Pakistan and would wait for their fuller explanation before commenting on the agreement. “Is it a good development or a bad development?” another reporter asked. “We’ve seen these sorts of actions before. What is, of course, important is that we are all working together to fight terrorism and particularly to fight the cross-border activities that some Taliban engage in, in attacking Afghanistan.” Yet another reporter reminded the US spokesman that Nato had warned that the agreement could lead to a safe haven for extremists in the region. Mr Duguid said since he had not seen “the full context” of the Nato statement, he would not offer further comments. The United States, he said, had stayed engaged with the government of Pakistan on this and other issues that concern the US-led coalition in Afghanistan but it would wait to see what the Pakistan “government’s aims are and then, if I have more to offer on that, I’ll get back to you”. Mr Duguid said that the US Embassy in Islamabad was trying to find out what’s the strategy of the Pakistani government for dealing with the militants operating in Swat. When a reporter suggested that the spokesman should get his brief and later tell journalists if he believed the agreement was good or bad, Mr Duguid said: “I don’t think that I’m going to give a judgment out from the podium when they’ve just announced this. They’ve just started their actions.” Diplomatic observers in Washington say that the State Department’s cautious reaction shows that the US is still trying to understand the development. They say that instead of using a public platform for condemning the agreement, the US administration is using diplomatic channels to ensure that whatever agreement Pakistan makes with the militants, it does not hurt the US-led war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Unlike the State Department, the US media and think-tanks have reacted strongly to the agreement, describing it as a mistake that may have dangerous consequences for Pakistan. “It looks like total capitulation to the TNSM, takes right back to the first agreement in Swat which fell through,” said Marvin Weinbaum, a former State Department adviser on Pakistan and now a think-tank expert. He warned that the Swat treaty might set precedence for other similar agreement in the Frontier area. Mr Weinbaum, however, said he believed it was the military’s initiative and he understood why. “They are the ones suffering casualties in Swat,” he added. He recalled that the previous agreement with the TNSM fell through because the two sides could not agree on the presence of Pakistani troops in Swat. “I don’t know what the arrangement for the troops is in this agreement,” said Mr Weinbaum, adding that it too could run into troubles over this issue. AP adds: A senior US Defence Department official said: “it is hard to view this as anything other than a negative development.” The official requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of relations with Pakistan and because he was not authorised to speak on the record. |
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Govt says accord not a sign of weakness
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, at a meeting here on Tuesday, reviewed the Swat peace accord and expressed the hope it would pave way for permanent peace in the country.
Sources in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) told
Dawn the president and the prime minister were of the view that the accord
should not be considered a ‘weakness’ of the government because it was signed to
restore peace for the benefit of the people of Swat...
Govt says accord not a sign of weakness
|
Sources in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) told Dawn the president and the prime minister were of the view that the accord should not be considered a ‘weakness’ of the government because it was signed to restore peace for the benefit of the people of Swat. While reaction of the international community was mixed, some sections termed the deal a ray of hope for peace in Malakand and subsequently in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), others described it as a retreat by the government and security forces which had bowed to militants and allowed them to enforce their self-styled Sharia. The president, in a meeting with the Chinese newsmen, said the government was pursuing a multi-dimensional policy in the war on terror and using economic, political and military options to eliminate extremism and terrorism. “Pakistan has adopted a three-pronged strategy to combat terrorism,” he said, but added that limited resources were increasing problems for the government. He said that the gun alone could not win the war on terror. “Maintenance of peace in Fata and the NWFP is the foremost responsibility of the government and providing protection to the people is a challenge,” Mr Zardari said. In a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, President Zardari emphasised the need for broadening bilateral cooperation. The Australian minister, who had hailed the Swat deal, was informed that the government was committed to fighting terrorism and extremism. Mr Smith appreciated Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism and extremism and for promoting regional peace and stability. |
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Swat, Fata insurgency ‘a national issue’
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By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, Feb 17: The insurgency in Swat and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) should be considered a national problem and addressed seriously rather than dismissing it as a local problem being faced solely by the people of the troubled areas.
Swat, Fata insurgency ‘a national issue’
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By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, Feb 17: The insurgency in Swat and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) should be considered a national problem and addressed seriously rather than dismissing it as a local problem being faced solely by the people of the troubled areas.
This was the upshot of an in-camera briefing given
at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan by Fata Additional Chief Secretary
Habibullah Khan here on Tuesday. The briefing was arranged after a delegation of
the HRCP visited the NWFP and requested its governor that the civil society
should be apprised of the real situation in Swat and Fata to allay their fears
about the future of these places. Originally, the governor was to give the
briefing on Feb 7 but he could not come here due to his
pre-occupation...
|
This was the upshot of an in-camera briefing given at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan by Fata Additional Chief Secretary Habibullah Khan here on Tuesday. The briefing was arranged after a delegation of the HRCP visited the NWFP and requested its governor that the civil society should be apprised of the real situation in Swat and Fata to allay their fears about the future of these places. Originally, the governor was to give the briefing on Feb 7 but he could not come here due to his pre-occupation. Briefing media on the session which was attended by rights activists and members of the civil society, HRCP Director I.A. Rehman said the official dilated upon the geography of Fata, its history, tribes, and their rituals and style of handling the affairs. It was stated that the insurgency in Fata had various historic perspectives like abandoning it for the last 30 years. Its affairs were neglected after the Afghan war was over in 1991-92, allowing them to complicate with the passage of time. “The debate as to who did what to aggravate the situation is history. Right now people are being rendered jobless and displaced and schools destroyed; terror reigns in the areas. And the directionless people are succumbing to the pressure of those wielding guns. They would be able to make correct decisions only when normalcy is restored,” Mr Rehman quoted the official. He said Pakistan was confronting some basic issues -- whether it could face various fronts or should it try to reduce their number so as to better defend itself. Before thinking of a regional solution to the volatile situation it must first be probed what does the term region mean and what are the aims of the regional countries. Mr Rehman said it was stated in the briefing that the people of Fata expected that they should not be left alone. The people of Pakistan must consider them just like members of their families and realise the nature of their problems and show empathy. It was also felt that Al Qaeda and local and foreign Taliban should not be taken as one entity because such a thinking was creating problems. The element of sectarianism too had emerged during the war in Fata and it also needed to be tackled along with militancy, he stressed. Quoting the Fata representative, the HRCP director said the quality of governance should be improved all over the country to handle militancy. The government should know its mandate and adopt a clear policy. The people of Fata expected the government to avoid a short-term solution to the problem and handle it with patience, he said.Answering questions, HRCP chairperson Asma Jahangir said the commission was not against dialogue but it should not be held at gunpoint and with those who occupied land in the name of Islam. Dialogue should be held with a purpose and not at the cost of the rights of people, she emphasised. Referring to the acceptance of the demand to impose Islamic law in Swat, she asked whether or not this had been done while ensuring personal freedom and whether people would approach state police and army or the self-appointed righteous persons in case of any injustice. “It is no achievement if the rights of people have been surrendered. Dialogue should not be held at the expense of the people of Pakistan,” she said. She said it was the obligation of religious leaders to explain to people what real Shariah (Islamic jurisprudence) is. “Publicly executing people, killing women and rendering people jobless have nothing to do with Shariah. Such steps defame the country and Islam.” She asked as to what would happen if a judge in Swat would give a verdict different from the Federal Shariat Court’s. It should be seen whether the Islamic judge would be able to ensure fundamental rights of people and whether the rights of Swat girls would be equal to that of those in Lahore, she said. Mr I.A. Rehman said those who had agreed to enforce (Taliban’s version of) Islam had in fact accepted a real big challenge. “Signing an agreement is easier but protecting the rights of people and constitution is difficult. It would have to be seen as to how the constitution would be followed and the rights of people protected (while enforcing the Islamic law),” he said. Whether the acceptance of the militants’ demand would resolve the issue of militancy or aggravate was another major concern, he said, but at the same time warned that “any more deception would bring bad results”. |
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February 17, 2009 Tuesday Safar 21, 1430
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Sharia-based system tied to peace in Swat
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By Waseem A. Shah
PESHAWAR, Feb 16: NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti announced a sharia-based judicial system for Malakand and Kohistan on Monday, but denied that the proposed system was similar to the one introduced by Taliban in Afghanistan.
The chief minister linked the enforcement of the system with restoration of peace and resumption of proper functioning of state institutions in Swat.
The provincial government declared that all laws which were against sharia would be considered redundant in the region....
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President to sign bill only after peace is restored
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ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Information Minister Sherry Rehman said on Monday that President Asif Ali Zardari would approve the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand only after restoration of peace in the region.
She said that troops would remain in the troubled valley and the regulation would be approved by the president after Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) abided by the peace agreement.
According to a press release, she said the proposed regulation would provide speedy justice to the common man. “This will also meet people’s demand for the establishment of an appellate forum in their own area,” she said.
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Malakand accord step in right direction: PM
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By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Monday that the accord on enforcing Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand was a step in the right direction which would pave way for restoration of peace in Swat. After that, he said, troops would be pulled out of the valley.
He said the government was following a policy of dialogue, development and deterrence and this had been explained to US officials.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating a labour conference, the prime minister said his government was holding dialogue because it believed that the use of force was not the only way to resolve issues....
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Malakand peace deal gets broad political support
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By A.H. Bacha
PESHAWAR, Feb 16: Leaders of most political parties and Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi on Monday extended their support to the NWFP government’s decision to enforce Islamic system in Malakand and restore peace in the region.
After a jirga held at the Frontier House, the TNSM naib amir said the Nizam-i-Adl regulation was a big achievement of the government and joint efforts would be made for restoring peace and improving the situation in the region.
Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) termed the regulation a part of the Islamic system...
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February 16, 2009 Monday Safar 20, 1430
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Govt agrees to enforce Sharia in Malakand: 10-day truce by Swat Taliban
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By Hameedulah & Haleem Asad
MINGORA / TIMERGARA, Feb 15: The Taliban of Swat announced a 10-day ceasefire on Sunday after the government and the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) reached an understanding about promulgating Sharia, termed ‘Nizam-i-Adl Regulation’, in Malakand region.
“Taliban have declared a unilateral ceasefire for 10 days as a goodwill gesture. Our fighters will not attack security personnel and government installations,” Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20090216
Govt agrees to enforce Sharia in Malakand: 10-day truce by Swat Taliban
By Hameedulah & Haleem Asad
MINGORA / TIMERGARA, Feb 15: The Taliban of Swat announced a 10-day ceasefire on Sunday after the government and the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) reached an understanding about promulgating Sharia, termed ‘Nizam-i-Adl Regulation’, in Malakand region.
“Taliban have declared a unilateral ceasefire for 10 days as a goodwill gesture. Our fighters will not attack security personnel and government installations,” Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said.
However, he said, the militants would hold their positions and defend themselves if attacked.
He welcomed the move to enforce Sharia regulations in Malakand, but added: “We will see how sincere the government is in their enforcement.”
When asked about the possibility of the militants disarming themselves, the spokesman said everything would depend on the line of action of the authorities in Swat.
According to sources, a five-point draft accord was signed after negotiations between government and TNSM teams held at the Timergara rest-house where the tehrik had set up a ‘protest camp’ on Oct 9 last year.
A formal announcement about enforcement of the regulations is likely to be made by NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan in Peshawar on Monday at a meeting to be attended by provincial ministers, a delegation of the TNSM and leaders of political parties.
At Sunday’s talks, the provincial government team was led by Information Minister Mian Iftikhar, Livestock Minister Haji Hidayatullah, Awami National Party spokesman Zahid Khan and Hazara Commissioner Javed Khan, while the TNSM was represented by Maulana Sufi Mohammad, spokesman Amir Izzat, Maulana Mohammad Alam and Badshah Sardar.
NWFP government spokesman Mian Iftikhar told newsmen in Timergara that talks held with the TNSM leadership were fruitful and a final announcement about the outcome would be made by the chief minister.
Sufi Mohammad did not answer journalists’ questions about progress made in the talks.
However, TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat and Sufi Mohammad’s son Rizwanullah said that “both sides have signed the accord” and an announcement regarding the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand division would be made by the chief minister after a meeting with a jirga of the tehrik in Peshawar on Monday.
“The NWFP government has accepted TNSM’s demand for enforcement of Shariat-i-Muhammadi in accordance with Quran, Sunnah, Ijma and Qias,” they said.
Sources said the TNSM would wind up its ‘protest camp’ after the announcement by the chief minister.“Sufi Mohammad and all district chiefs and general secretaries of the tehrik will go to Swat to persuade Taliban to disarm and restore peace in the valley,” they said.
Two rounds of talks were held after the government delegation reached Timergra by helicopter.
People attending the camp distributed sweats and exchanged greetings on phone with activists of the TNSM.
Amir Izzat told Dawn after a meeting of the TNSM shura that a 28-member delegation of the tehrik led by its deputy chief Maulana Mohammad Alam would meet the chief minister. He said the delegation would include Maulana Dost Muhammad, Maulana Samiullah and Maulana Salar.
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FSC to be last court of appeal
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By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR: Under the proposed Nizam-i-Adl (Sharia) Regulation the appellate and revisional jurisdiction of superior courts will be replaced with that of the Federal Shariat Court and executive magistracy will be revived in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
The government will take all people and sections concerned into confidence over the regulation at a meeting to be held here on Monday. Lawmakers from Malakand region and leaders of major parties have been invited to the meeting.According to sources, drastic changes have been made in the previous draft of the regulation which was sent for approval to the president. The changes include making the Federal Shariat Court the last court of appeal...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20090216
FSC to be last court of appeal
By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR: Under the proposed Nizam-i-Adl (Sharia) Regulation the appellate and revisional jurisdiction of superior courts will be replaced with that of the Federal Shariat Court and executive magistracy will be revived in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata).
The government will take all people and sections concerned into confidence over the regulation at a meeting to be held here on Monday. Lawmakers from Malakand region and leaders of major parties have been invited to the meeting.According to sources, drastic changes have been made in the previous draft of the regulation which was sent for approval to the president. The changes include making the Federal Shariat Court the last court of appeal.
Revival of the offices of district magistrates and executive magistrates has also been included in the proposed law which will replace the Sharai Nizam--i-Adl Regulation of 1999.
Some provincial officials were instrumental in making the changes in the draft, ostensibly to add to the powers of bureaucracy, the sources aid. The previous draft said that “Sharia bench means bench of the high court constituted for the said area under the Constitution for dealing with any case falling within the purview of this regulation.”
This definition has been deleted and a new provision added which states: “Appeal and revision -- subject to the Constitution, the Federal Shariat Court shall be the final court of appeal or, as the case may be, revision for the purpose of this regulation.”
Currently, appeals against judgments of different courts in Pata are filed in the Peshawar High Court, except in cases under the Hudood laws.
The proposed regulation says that in each district or protected area there shall be a district magistrate and additional district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate and other executive magistrates as the government deems necessary.
The district magistrate will supervise the process of investigation and prosecution. The executive magistrate will be exclusively empowered to try all offences under the Pakistan Penal Code punishable up to three-year imprisonment; offences punishable under local and special laws; and cases for prevention of breach of peace.
The government has also removed the provision of muavin-i-qazi (assistant to qazi) from the proposed regulation. An official said the chief of Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi had objected to the provision claiming that it would influence independence of the judges.
The earlier draft had proposed that the government, in consultation with the high court, would take necessary steps to establish as many courts as required to ensure speedy dispensation of justice within the prescribed time schedule. This provision has been removed from the draft.
Various functions of the high court mentioned in the earlier draft have also been removed.
The schedule of the proposed regulation includes around 125 laws which would be applicable to the Malakand region of Pata.
The region has seven districts -- Upper and Lower Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Chitral and Malakand.
Under Article 247 of the Constitution, the governor, with prior approval of the president, can make regulations for peace and good governance in Pata. The regulation of 1999 had replaced the Pata Nifaz-i-Nizam-i-Shariat Regulation, 1994, which was introduced after an uprising led by the TNSM.
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President approves Sharia laws
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By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15: President Asif Ali Zardari has given a go-ahead to the NWFP government to enforce Sharia laws in the Malakand region, including Swat.
“The president’s approval was sought because the provincial government cannot make any amendment to laws in Malakand without his approval,” sources said...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top3.htm&date=20090216
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President approves Sharia laws
By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, Feb 15: President Asif Ali Zardari has given a go-ahead to the NWFP government to enforce Sharia laws in the Malakand region, including Swat.
“The president’s approval was sought because the provincial government cannot make any amendment to laws in Malakand without his approval,” sources said.
Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain claimed on Sunday that the president had promulgated an ordinance to enforce Sharia in Malakand.
President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the official version of the presidency would be issued after a meeting between the NWFP government and leaders of the TNSM to be held on Monday.
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February 15, 2009 Sunday Safar 19, 1430
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11 civilians, soldier killed in Swat clashes
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Feb 14: Eleven civilians and a soldier were killed and several others suffered injuries in clashes and shelling in Swat valley on Saturday.
Reports reaching here from Swat valley said that a mystic, his wife and two daughters were killed when a mortar shell hit their house in Qandeel area of Madyan...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat11.htm&date=20090215
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11 civilians, soldier killed in Swat clashes
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Feb 14: Eleven civilians and a soldier were killed and several others suffered injuries in clashes and shelling in Swat valley on Saturday.
Reports reaching here from Swat valley said that a mystic, his wife and two daughters were killed when a mortar shell hit their house in Qandeel area of Madyan.
People from nearby villages retrieved bodies from rubble.
Another mortar shell fell on the house of one Kaki, killing his wife and four children and injuring five others in Nengolai area of Kabal. The injured, a few of them in critical condition, could not be take to hospital owing to closure of roads because of curfew.
The third shell hit the house of one Sher in Kalagai village of Matta, killing his wife and injuring two children and a woman. The injured were taken to Matta hospital.
Security forces came under attack from militants in Dheri area of Kabal when they cordoned off the area and started a search operation. A soldier, identified as Haji Mohammad, was killed in the attack.
Masked armed men gunned down one Shahid in Parrhi area of Kabal and escaped. The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained.
Curfew was relaxed from 6 am to 6:30 pm in Mingora and GT Road, while Kanju-Matta road and Mingora-Charbagh road were opened to traffic from 10 am to 6 pm, says a press release issued by Swat Media Centre.
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February 09, 2009 Monday Safar 13, 1430
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Khawaja Hoti to visit Swat for peace talks
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By Bakhtawar Mian
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: Awami National Party?s estranged leader Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti said here on Sunday he would go to Swat in a few days to hold talks with Taliban for peace in the region.
Mr Hoti, who recently resigned from the federal cabinet in protest against military operations in tribal areas, told Dawn: ?I will go to Swat and stay there to discuss peace, even if I am killed.? He said violence and war had nothing to do with the ideology of the ANP, adding that he would strive to get the military operations in the NWFP stopped....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top18.htm&date=20090209
Khawaja Hoti to visit Swat for peace talks
By Bakhtawar Mian
ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: Awami National Party’s estranged leader Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti said here on Sunday he would go to Swat in a few days to hold talks with Taliban for peace in the region.
Mr Hoti, who recently resigned from the federal cabinet in protest against military operations in tribal areas, told Dawn: “I will go to Swat and stay there to discuss peace, even if I am killed.” He said violence and war had nothing to do with the ideology of the ANP, adding that he would strive to get the military operations in the NWFP stopped.
He said he was warmly received when he returned to his constituency in Mardan after resigning from the cabinet.
He said people were fed up with the provincial government and veteran ANP leaders, like Afzal Khan Lala, should be given control of the party and the government.
“Those who have allowed bloodshed and supported military operations in the province do not represent the Pukhtuns. They are opportunists,” he said.
Mr Hoti said he had received a show-cause notice from the party, but he would stick to his principled stand till the acceptance of his demands of ending the military operations, unseating the chief minister and giving veteran ANP leaders their due role in the province.
He said he would not withdraw his resignation unless bloodshed in the province was stopped.
He said he could legally keep the ministerial accommodation for three months and the government car for two weeks after resigning.
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February 08, 2009 Sunday Safar 12, 1430
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Three troops, 11 civilians die in Swat clashes
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By Hameedulah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 7: Three security personnel and 11 non-combatants were killed in fierce clashes between security forces and militants in different parts of Swat valley on Saturday.
A group of militants ambushed an army vehicle in Aligrama area of Kabal tehsil and killed three security personnel on the spot....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat6.htm&date=20090208
Three troops, 11 civilians die in Swat clashes
By Hameedulah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 7: Three security personnel and 11 non-combatants were killed in fierce clashes between security forces and militants in different parts of Swat valley on Saturday.
A group of militants ambushed an army vehicle in Aligrama area of Kabal tehsil and killed three security personnel on the spot.
The security forces cordoned off the area and imposed an indefinite curfew. They also targeted hideouts of suspected militants with artillery fire. The heavy barrage razed a number of houses to the ground.
Four people were killed in an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in Takhtaband area, on the outskirts of Mingora city. Two of them were identified as Isa Mohammad and his father-in-law Sher Mohammad.
Helicopter gunships also targeted militants’ positions.
The gunbattle forced villagers to leave their homes for safer places. However, most of them were trapped in different areas due to curfew and shelling.
Three people were killed and 10 others injured when mortar shells hit their houses in Shewar area of Matta tehsil. The names of the dead and injured could not be ascertained.
A man and his son lost their lives and a woman was injured as mortar shells hit their house in Sekhbanr area of Matta.
A motorcyclist was killed in firing in Kabal tehsil and a body was recovered in Khwazakhela tehsil.
A mosque was destroyed and several houses were partially damaged in Kabal during shelling.
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February 06, 2009 Friday Safar 10, 1430
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Militants kill three women in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA: Three women were killed in Swat on Thursday as Taliban continued their attack on people they consider to be pro-government.
The militants also blew up two government schools...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20090206
Militants kill three women in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA: Three women were killed in Swat on Thursday as Taliban continued their attack on people they consider to be pro-government.
The militants also blew up two government schools.
The women, Zarmina, Zarbibi and Farzana, were killed and three men were kidnapped when militants stormed their house in Dagai village and accused them of supporting security personnel manning the nearby Wenai bridge post.
The girls’ primary school and boys’ high school were blown up in Nazarabad area of Matta.
The house of constable Abdul Kamal was set on fire in Kala Kalley area of Kabal tehsil.
One Jamil was injured by security personnel in Makan Bagh area of Mingora.
Meanwhile, the Mingora-Charbagh road reopened when curfew was relaxed in the area.
AP adds: A suicide attacker detonated an explosive-laden car near a police station here, wounding a dozen officers and destroying part of the building, said Dilawar Khan Bangash, the police chief.
Mr Bangash said militants also fired three rockets before the attack and one damaged a nearby hotel.
Pakistan is under pressure to clamp down on a string of extremist groups.
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Big loan scam detected in NBP’s Gilgit branch
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By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: A fraud amounting to hundreds of millions of rupees in fake loans has been detected in the Gilgit branch of the National Bank of Pakistan, causing a setback to NBP’s efforts to extend its presence in Northern Areas and promote business activities in the remote and backward region.
Well-placed sources told Dawn that the fraud was detected when the bank launched a probe into payment of Rs50 million as loan to a company named Pak-China Sost Port Company by its Gilgit branch. But the revelation could be just the tip of the iceberg because investigators have found that there were other bogus loans involving payment of Rs880 million...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20090206
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Heavy snowfall paralyses life in Gilgit-Baltistan
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By Farman Ali Baltistani
SKARDU, Feb 5: Heavy snowfall and severe cold wave have gripped the entire Gilgit-Baltistan region, causing hardships to the people of the area.
The fresh snowfall that started on Saturday morning continued throughout the day without any break and paralysed the routine life and disrupted traffic and communication between Skardu and other parts of the region...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat2.htm&date=20090206
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February 05, 2009 Thursday Safar 09, 1430
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30 security men freed after ‘promising to quit force’
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Dawn Report
MINGORA/TIMERGARA, Feb 4: The Taliban in Swat set free 30 police and paramilitary personnel in the presence of journalists in Kotli Dadhara area of Kabal tehsil on Wednesday, after securing written promise from them that they would quit their government jobs.
“The hostages have been released on humanitarian grounds, but with a condition that they will quit their jobs and never fight against the Taliban,” local Taliban leaders told newsmen after a meeting of the Taliban Shura....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top3.htm&date=20090205
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30 security men freed after ‘promising to quit force’
Dawn Report
MINGORA/TIMERGARA, Feb 4: The Taliban in Swat set free 30 police and paramilitary personnel in the presence of journalists in Kotli Dadhara area of Kabal tehsil on Wednesday, after securing written promise from them that they would quit their government jobs.
“The hostages have been released on humanitarian grounds, but with a condition that they will quit their jobs and never fight against the Taliban,” local Taliban leaders told newsmen after a meeting of the Taliban Shura.
The security personnel were kidnapped on Tuesday when the militants overran a police checkpoint in Shamozai area adjacent to the Lower Dir district. The area had been under siege for 36 hours.
The security personnel surrendered when they ran out of ammunition and their request for reinforcements from the army base camp in Kabal went unheeded, a freed policeman said.
“We fought the Taliban the whole day, but at night we ran out of ammunition and we had no other option but to surrender,” the policeman said.
The Taliban blew up the checkpoint and took the personnel they had captured to their stronghold of Kabal on Wednesday morning.
Constable Kiramat Shah said: “Taliban have given us a new life. We had been under the siege for about 36 hours and pleaded for reinforcements, but nobody came to our help.”
Taliban leaders said the released personnel would publish advertisements in local newspapers, announcing their resignation and promising never to take part in any future action against Taliban.
The Taliban’s siege of the checkpoint triggered shelling from the military base in Kabal, Swat and Chakdara Fort.
Four civilians were killed in the shelling.
Local people said the victims were taking breakfast when mortar shells hit their homes, killing them on the spot.
Meanwhile, militants torched the house of a close relative of ANP’s senior leader Afzal Khan in Bagh Dehri area in Taliban’s stronghold of Matta on Wednesday night.
Local people said that a large number of armed men attacked the house and the adjacent guest house of Khursheed Khan, a nephew of Afzal Khan Lala. They asked the watchmen to leave the compound and set fire to the houses. Mr Khursheed had already left the area.
Unlike MNAs and MPAs elected from the troubled Swat valley, Afzal Khan, a former federal minister, has not left his native Daroshkhela village despite several attempts made by Taliban to kill him and his relatives.
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Peace to be restored in Swat: PM
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ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated his government’s determination to take all necessary steps for improving security situation in Swat and providing immediate relief to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the NWFP and Balochistan.
During a meeting with NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti and Balochistan’s CM Nawab Aslam Raisani at the PM’s House on Wednesday, Mr Gilani said the government was determined to restore peace in Swat through its ‘3D’ policy of dialogue, development and deterrence....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat2.htm&date=20090205
Peace to be restored in Swat: PM
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated his government’s determination to take all necessary steps for improving security situation in Swat and providing immediate relief to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the NWFP and Balochistan.
During a meeting with NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti and Balochistan’s CM Nawab Aslam Raisani at the PM’s House on Wednesday, Mr Gilani said the government was determined to restore peace in Swat through its ‘3D’ policy of dialogue, development and deterrence.
He urged the NWFP government to provide adequate security to international development agencies working in the area.
He directed the National Disaster Management Authority to immediately meet the requirements of IDPs, particularly during winter.
The prime minister was briefed on various public welfare projects and overall security situation in the two provinces.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rahman and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar attended the meeting.
—Staff Reporter
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Civilians bear the brunt of Swat conflict
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By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The fighting between security forces and Taliban has triggered a chaotic mass exodus from several areas of Swat over the past few days, reminiscent of migration of hundreds of thousands amid similar clashes in Bajaur Agency last year.
Witnesses told Dawn on Wednesday that over 100,000 terrified residents had fled Charbagh tehsil and Manglawar area of Mingora during the past four days....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat4.htm&date=20090205
Civilians bear the brunt of Swat conflict
By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The fighting between security forces and Taliban has triggered a chaotic mass exodus from several areas of Swat over the past few days, reminiscent of migration of hundreds of thousands amid similar clashes in Bajaur Agency last year.
Witnesses told Dawn on Wednesday that over 100,000 terrified residents had fled Charbagh tehsil and Manglawar area of Mingora during the past four days.
The army recently launched the third phase of Operation Rah-i-Haq to hunt down Taliban and their local chief Maulana Fazlullah, who controls over 80 per cent of the valley and has imposed his own brand of sharia there.
Local authorities and people estimate that over 600,000, out of a population of 1.5 million, had been displaced over the past year or so.
Tens of thousands of people from Bajaur have been living since last year in a refugee camp in Malakand and in Mingora. They will now be joined by victims of the ‘war on terror’ from Swat.
Columns of families terrified of being caught in crossfire could be seen fleeing along River Swat to Mingora from Koza Bandai, Bara Bandai, Ningwalai, Shakardara, Shawar, Ronial, Roringar, Chuperial, Khariri, Biha, Charbagh, Manglawar and Sangota.
The army has given short deadlines to non-combatants to leave affected areas of the valley. But no arrangements have so far been made by the provincial or federal government to take care of such a large number of displaced people.
There is an apparent lack of coordination between the provincial government and those who are running the military operation.
Some 6,500 people (550 families) displaced from Bajaur have been living in sub-human conditions in the Lundkhwar IDP (internally displaced persons) camp for three months. They lack food, live in non-winterised tents and suffer from diseases caused by lack of hygiene and nutrition. The children, deprived of proper food and clothing, attend schools in the open.
The displaced people of Swat are facing a similar situation.
With tears in their eyes, many families could be seen narrating their ordeals to other refugees and locals who came over to console them.
Those who have arrived in Mingora said that like the IDPs of Bajaur many of them were unable to bury some of their neighbours or relatives killed under the debris of houses demolished by mortar shelling. They said they were able to bury some of the dead but without offering Namaz-i-Janaza.Like the IDPs of Bajaur, Swatis too are angry over the massive loss of civilian lives and property.
They said they had not come across any Taliban killed or injured in the operation and that attacks against the militants had mostly been imprecise, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians.
“It’s like the day of judgment. Everybody is trying to save his own life and his family. We even don’t know what has happened to our neighbours and relatives,” said Ghazni Khan of Ningwalai. He has brought his family to the house of his brother-in-law in Mingora.
Youngsters were seen carrying the weak and elderly on their backs for miles. Kids with unwashed faces and unkempt hair cuddled up to their mothers, trying to keep pace with the menfolk. Children were seen lugging heavy suitcases.
Displaced people are also taking refuge in government schools which are closed for winter vacations till Feb 15, but may not open in time.
Many residents of Mingora have offered their guest rooms to the displaced people. A large number of people have also huddled in garages.
Locals have started collecting donations through loudspeakers of mosques. They also try to arrange food for displaced people living in schools and other government buildings.
Many families have left behind one or two members to take care of their houses and livestock.
With all physical contacts almost eliminated by the violence and destruction, mobile phones remain the sole means of communication with those who are still living in villages.
Those guarding their homes and property in what have almost become ghost villages are the most vulnerable.
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February 04, 2009 Wednesday Safar 08, 1430
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70 militants killed in Swat
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Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Feb 3: Over 70 militants were killed by security forces during fierce clashes in Swat on Monday night and Tuesday.
A group of Taliban were attacked and dispersed by troops in Alam Ganj Waliabad area of Charbagh on Monday night. On Tuesday evening, the militants gathered again and were reported to be planning an attack when security forces surprised them. At least 64 militants were killed and several others were injured...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20090204
70 militants killed in Swat
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Feb 3: Over 70 militants were killed by security forces during fierce clashes in Swat on Monday night and Tuesday.
A group of Taliban were attacked and dispersed by troops in Alam Ganj Waliabad area of Charbagh on Monday night. On Tuesday evening, the militants gathered again and were reported to be planning an attack when security forces surprised them. At least 64 militants were killed and several others were injured.
Official sources claimed that the Taliban had suffered a major setback in the area.
Meanwhile, militants surrounded the Shamozai police post manned by about 30 personnel on Tuesday morning. Six militants were killed and five others were injured in an exchange of fire.
Three security personnel were killed and five others injured.
According to sources, security personnel are running out of ammunition and have sought reinforcement. It is feared that the troops may be forced to surrender if help did not reach them in time.
Suspected militants attacked a military convoy on the Mingora bypass.
Troops cordoned off the area and launched an operation, killing four militants.
The Takhtaband village on the bypass was deserted with residents having left their homes and moved to other areas fearing retaliatory attack by the army.
Thousands of people of Aligrama, Koza and Bara Bandai, Kanju and Akhund Kalley have also left their homes and are reported to be going to Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar and other places.
An exodus of about 45,000 people has been reported from Charbagh and adjoining areas.
According to official sources, about 300,000 people have left the valley so far and many of them have taken refuge in camps set up by the authorities in different areas.
According to witnesses, a large number of people are stranded in different areas of Swat because of curfew.
Some of them have made announcements on loudspeakers that their children were missing.
“The unfortunate people of Swat have seen their near and dear ones slaughtered, hanged in main squares of Mingora and Matta, executed and tortured for no sin committed by them,” a displaced man said.
“Both the Taliban and security forces are killing innocent people. We are migrating because there are no signs of peace in the near future,” he said.
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Swat museum a victim of obscurantism
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By Sher Baz Khan
MINGORA, Feb 3: The 2000-year-old heritage of Swat is now at the mercy of militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah. They had made their intentions clear from day one: symbols of pre-Islamic cultures are an abomination and must be destroyed.
The Swat museum, a repository of relics dating as far back as to the 3rd century BC, has itself turned into a picture of ruin...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat1.htm&date=20090204
Swat museum a victim of obscurantism
By Sher Baz Khan
MINGORA, Feb 3: The 2000-year-old heritage of Swat is now at the mercy of militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah. They had made their intentions clear from day one: symbols of pre-Islamic cultures are an abomination and must be destroyed.
The Swat museum, a repository of relics dating as far back as to the 3rd century BC, has itself turned into a picture of ruin.
The museum was taken over by the Army after it launched the operation in 2007. An explosion at a nearby army premises and the hostels of the Jehanzeb College badly damaged parts of the building in February of last year.
Insiders told Dawn that 150 items of pottery dating back to the 1st century BC fell to the ground from the impact of the blast.
The transportation of the damaged pottery to a Taxila-based laboratory for repair has been posing a challenge to the museum staff and law enforcement agencies due to fear of attacks by militants.
The curator, Mohammad Aqleem, has appealed to the authorities for security. But so far no law enforcement agency has responded to the curator’s SOS.
It has now been decided to bring experts to Swat so that they could repair the broken pottery, but the when and the how are being kept secret.
All the items which were once on display in the eight-gallery museum have been removed to an unknown place.
In the wake of threats by the Fazlullah-led Taliban, only a handful of the 54 people employed at the museum could be seen in the compound.
Located in the heart of Mingora city, the museum looks like a military fort from the outside --- its entrance protected by sandbags and bunkers.
From the inside it is no more than a jail. Mr Aqleem and his family have been living in the museum premises and have restricted their movements.
They are being guarded by the Army. The curator, who has chosen to stay in Swat despite the lurking danger, sat brooding over the fate awaiting a once serene valley.
He recalls, with a tinge of sadness, that it was on one Saturday night in Nov 2007 that the historic statue of Buddha in the Jihanabad area of Swat was blown up by militants.
“This was the second attack on the seventh century statue of Buddha,” he observed with a wry smile.
The fresh attack had caused irreparable loss to the head of the statue and also damaged its shoulders.
“It was a most complete and inspiring symbol of Gandhara art,” Mr Aqleem said, looking up to the ceiling of his office. The room which now serves as his office was once a dining room for guests. His office is no longer safe for him.
After the destruction of the Bamiyan statue of Afghanistan, the one in Swat was the most awesome. It stood seven metres tall, showing Buddha in meditation.
The museum was founded in 1959 by the Wali (head) of the then state of Swat. Its building was designed by an Italian architect, Vittonio Cardi, and renovated in 1992 thanks to a Japanese grant in 1992.
Its items cannot be displayed anywhere else except Swat for it is a site museum.
“The museum will reopen only after peace returns to the valley,” Mr Aqleem said.
And peace is what the people of Swat are dying for.
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February 03, 2009 Tuesday Safar 07, 1430
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A tourist heaven turns into a valley of fear
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By Sher Baz Khan
MINGORA, Feb 2: The road to Swat used to be a byword for breathtaking beauty. Although it remains the most picturesque in the country, it now conjures up fear and lurking danger.
The journey upwards from Mardan these days is forbidding. The entire route is a picture of utter desolation. Fear of the unknown has overtaken a place fabled for its fertile fields and majestic mountains.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat14.htm&date=20090203
A tourist heaven turns into a valley of fear
By Sher Baz Khan
MINGORA, Feb 2: The road to Swat used to be a byword for breathtaking beauty. Although it remains the most picturesque in the country, it now conjures up fear and lurking danger.
The journey upwards from Mardan these days is forbidding. The entire route is a picture of utter desolation. Fear of the unknown has overtaken a place fabled for its fertile fields and majestic mountains.
Even a flying visit is enough to fill one with a sense of foreboding that religious extremists would overrun the valley before long.
Most people, especially those living in urban areas, seem to have lost the will to live.
Things started taking an ugly turn in July 2007 after the then NWFP chief minister Shamsul Mulk called in paramilitary forces to take on militants fired by Maulana Fazlullah’s inflammatory rhetoric.
But the decision seems to have rebounded on the government, for now at least. The Maulana’s followers hold sway over no less than 80 per cent of the Swat valley.
The Army is into the third phase of an operation that has seen the state’s writ shrinking by the day. Of late the Taliban have made inroads into even settled areas, eg Mardan, Takhtbai, Shergarh, and almost the entire Malakand Agency.
Taliban are spreading their message in the same way as they did, and still do, in Swat. The medium of the message is fear. In fact, fear is the message.
The moment I, along with a colleague from DawnNews TV, entered the region, we were struck by unmistakable signs of a place steadily turning its back on the outside world. Institution after institution is falling to the Taliban.
Non-combatants have a stark choice: seek refuge in other places or accept the diktat of Maulana Fazlullah.
We managed to strike conversations with some Swatis, albeit after much persuasion.
Abdullah Khan, a draper, narrated the ordeal of his brother, Rauf Khan, especially his treatment by a Rawalpindi-based psychiatrist.
“Rauf saw the beheading of a man in a butcher shop by militants.
Since that day he either laughs loudly or sheds tears in silence,” Abdullah said.
A stroll through Mingora’s main marketplace brought us face to face with misery. A number of people poured their hearts out to us.
“The thunder of bombs, rockets, grenades and whatnot linger in our ears.
“Go to the psychiatrists of Peshawar and Rawalpindi and ask them how many children, men and women from Swat they are treating these days. I bet the number will baffle you,” said Ajmal Khan, a college student.
The people alleged that the military operation had killed more non-combatants than militants.
The economic fallout of the conflict is ominous. Most of the 1,000 hotels have gone out of business. The rent-a-car business is also dying out.
Shops dealing in CDs and operators of cable television have folded up after Maulana Fazlullah’s warnings.
Barber shops have put up notices that they would not shave off beards as the Taliban have told them not to do so.
A glitzy plaza caught our eye with its elegant shops, but sadly there were no shoppers.
“Women are not allowed to enter the premises unless they are accompanied by men,” read a banner fluttering over the entrance to the mall.
A number of tailors said they had been told not to let women enter their shops.
“The upper and middle classes are leaving the valley and settling down elsewhere,” said Aleem Jan, a tailor making women’s suits. He is among many who are planning to move to either Mardan or Peshawar.
Advertisement hoardings carrying pictures of women are disallowed.
The faces of women in ads are blackened or deformed.
SHARIA COURTS: A building housing the lawcourt is empty of lawyers and litigants as Taliban have decreed that the existing judicial order is un-Islamic. They have set up 73 shariat courts to administer “speedy justice”.
These courts summon people on phone, threatening violators with death.
And speedy justice it is indeed. They settle cases within a couple of days. Hence they are getting popular.
“A summon from the court of Fazlullah is like a death warrant.
No one dare disobey it,” said Jamil Ahmed, a lawyer.
Although he favoured the existing judicial system, he was all praise for the sharia courts as they decide cases in no time.
Jamil cited the example of a woman whose plea for dissolution was decided the other day by a local court. The matter was lingering for the past 22 years.
She had applied for dissolution of marriage at the age of 21 and now she is 43.
The president of the Swat Bar Association, Aftab Alam, is against a parallel judiciary. But he too said judges should try to dispose of cases in “reasonable time” to undercut the Taliban courts.
Only two of the 14 policewomen who worked in the district court take the trouble to report for duty these days. But they wear veils and keep a low profile, mostly hiding themselves behind bushes.
Almost all the legislators belonging to the ruling Awami National Party have fled from Swat. The exception is Afzal Khan Lala. All of them are on the Taliban’s hit list.
THE REALITY OF SWAT
A sign at a lady’s tailor shop in Mingora says: ‘Women are not allowed.’ Dawn and DawnNews reporters who returned from the valley late on Sunday paint a dismal picture of the sufferings of the people who the authorities appear to have left at the mercy of the militants. Fear reigns supreme. The militants have banned girls’ education, forced women indoors and have resorted to murder to enforce their version of Islam. All this in the 21st Century. — Text by Sher Baz Khan, picture DawnNews.
Report and more pictures on Page 3
A sign at a lady’s tailor shop in Mingora says: ‘Women are not allowed.’ Dawn and DawnNews reporters who returned from the valley late on Sunday paint a dismal picture of the sufferings of the people who the authorities appear to have left at the mercy of the militants. Fear reigns supreme. The militants have banned girls’ education, forced women indoors and have resorted to murder to enforce their version of Islam. All this in the 21st Century. — Text by Sher Baz Khan, picture DawnNews.
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February 02, 2009 Monday Safar 06, 1430
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New strategy to curb militancy in Swat: Gilani
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ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: The government will adopt a new strategy to avoid collateral damage in Swat, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference, Mr Gilani said: “The dialogue did not work in...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20090202
New strategy to curb militancy in Swat: Gilani
ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: The government will adopt a new strategy to avoid collateral damage in Swat, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference, Mr Gilani said: “The dialogue did not work in
Swat. Therefore, the government has to change its strategy from dialogue to military action.
“We are looking at various options. We have … the capacity and the will, but we want (to adopt) a strategy in which there is no collateral damage.”
He said his government was aware that local people were suffering because of the conflict.
“We are careful about people’s lives and property and also mindful of people abandoning their homes,” he said.
Mr Gilani emphasised that the unrest in Swat could not be tackled only by the armed forces, and political action and dialogue were also needed.
“We are finding a way out. We do not want to disclose the strategy right now, but soon Swat will be peaceful, like rest of the country,” said Mr Gilani, adding that he would soon visit the region.
Answering a question, he said that Swat “is a settled area and not Fata where the government had earlier adopted the policy of dialogue and agreements.”
He said that the government had changed its strategy when ANP chief Asfandyar Wali conceded in the National Assembly that “the policy of agreements” had not worked and decided to go for a military option.
The prime minister said the presence of foreign militants in the area could not be ruled out.
He was confident that the valley would soon be as peaceful as it was in the past.
About the resignation of Minister for Narcotics Control Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, the prime minister said he had talked to Mr Hoti on phone. He said he would not like to comment further on the subject because it was ANP’s internal matter.
COOPERATION PLEA: Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen Athar Abbas has said that local people’s cooperation is critical to eliminate terrorist from the Swat valley.
Speaking in a PTV programme telecast on Sunday, the DG said the people of Swat “must extend all possible cooperation to security forces for eliminating militancy from their areas”.
He said a pro-active strategy had been chalked out to seek the support of local people. Security would be provided to people.
Gen-Abbas said this would increase their confidence – prompting them to cooperate with the security forces – imperative for complete elimination of militancy from there.He expressed the hope that local notables would standby security forces to rebuild the confidence of the masses.
The DG ISPR said MNAs and MPAs had returned to Swat from Peshawar and started interaction with the local people.—Agencies
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16 militants killed, claims govt
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 1: The Swat Media Centre claimed on Sunday that 16 militants had been killed and five arrested in Charbagh and Kabal areas. Besides, one soldier had been killed and two others injured.
The claim could not be confirmed from independent sources....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20090202
16 militants killed, claims govt
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Feb 1: The Swat Media Centre claimed on Sunday that 16 militants had been killed and five arrested in Charbagh and Kabal areas. Besides, one soldier had been killed and two others injured.
The claim could not be confirmed from independent sources.
Meanwhile, reports reaching here said that a number of non-combatants, including women and children, were killed and several others injured since Saturday night when security forces intensified their offensive against militants.
Local people said that the victims were non-combatants and included children and women. They severely criticised the government for attacking civilians.
Official sources and residents said that at least 24 people, including nine displaced persons, had been killed by heavy artillery fire.
Militants attacked an ambulance near Sangota, killing its driver and his colleague, while two others received bullet injuries. The bodies could not be retrieved from the area.
Security forces operating in Swat are under pressure to minimise collateral damage and end operation against Maulana Fazlullah’s supporters.
According to local people, fierce clashes took place in Charbagh and Kabal on Sunday triggering a massive exodus. Troops used mortar, artillery and helicopter gunships to attack militants’ hideouts.
Reports said that nine people of a displaced family were killed in Charbagh early in the morning when they were caught in artillery shelling. The ill-fated family was fleeing Charbagh which was under curfew.
Officials dispatched ambulances from Mingora, the district headquarters, to shift the bodies.
Residents said that an artillery shell hit a house in Manglore on Sunday morning, killing Sher Zada, Ali Sher, Ali Bacha and Sher Ali and two women.
Ghalagai Union Council Nazim Mohammad Hanif was killed along with his friend and two others suffered injuries when some unidentified people attacked his car. He was going to Mingora.
Eight bodies with multiple wounds were found in Charbagh area. The victims have been identified as wife of Rasool Khan, his grandson, brother-in-law, sister, Barkat, son of Zamir Shah, Mohammad Shah, Barkat, son of Shereen, and wife of Jamshed.
Police said that the body of a constable who had been kidnapped on Saturday night found in Rahimabad locality on Sunday. Another man was kidnapped from the same locality and he remains untraced.
Residents said that a civilian Mohammad Sardar, who had gone to Hazara to take his daughter out of the conflict-hit area, was shot dead. Militants attacked a police station in Kanju on Sunday evening in which one constable was injured.
AP adds: The military said troops “consolidated their hold” over Charbagh, an area considered to be a militant stronghold.
Residents say militants now control most of Swat valley, despite an army operation that began more than a year ago.
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New artefacts found at Moenjodaro
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By M.B. Kalhoro
LARKANA, Feb 1: A team of archaeologists, working on a drain to flush out rainwater from the DK-G area of an explored part of Moenjodaro, found some ancient artefacts and cultural objects on Sunday.
Rainwater stagnates in several parts of the world heritage site each year and causes immense damage.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top12.htm&date=20090202
New artefacts found at Moenjodaro
By M.B. Kalhoro
LARKANA, Feb 1: A team of archaeologists, working on a drain to flush out rainwater from the DK-G area of an explored part of Moenjodaro, found some ancient artefacts and cultural objects on Sunday.
Rainwater stagnates in several parts of the world heritage site each year and causes immense damage.
Well-defined structures of old drains were discovered along with certain old artefacts during the digging.
“We had gone just half a metre down the level of surface of the old structures in the DK-G area and found the material of cultural value,” Moenjodaro director Qasim Ali Qasim told Dawn.
An object called ‘elliptical lid’ was also found and according to Moenjodaro curator Irshad Rid, it was something new for archaeologists.
He said that prior to this digging no such object had been found at any site of the Indus valley civilisation.
The curator said the last excavation of the site was done between 1927 and 1931 by E. J. H. Mackay, special officer for excavation of the Archaeological Survey of India. Since then, he said, no excavation in this portion had been done.
He said that the new finds could be related to the late period of Moenjodaro.
Mr Rid said that the ‘elliptical lid’ might have been used for keeping ‘holy water’ or ‘ceremonial water’. “A miniature used for keeping medicines was also discovered at the site,” the curator said.
He expected to find more remains during the drain digging as some portions of the defined drain area were low-lying.
The team, he said, would do the digging in an area about 100 feet long with the aim of constructing a drain so that rainwater could be disposed of in the old circular drain.
Also, pieces of charcoal were found which, according to Mr Qasim, would be the authentic source to establish the age of the structures.
He said that Pakistan needed fine and delicate technology to analyse the new finds without which it would be difficult to determine the age and utility of the objects.
When asked about reasons for undertaking new digging, he said it was for constructing a drain and to study the phenomenon of the ‘First Street’ of the site.
The presence of old remains and structures in the area under study showed that it was a congested area, compelling the people to encroach upon the main street and construct houses.
Mr Qasim said that Unesco wanted to undertake a new phase of excavations at Moenjodaro to understand different aspects of this gigantic pre-historic city.
He said he had received a letter on Saturday from Unesco and was busy preparing a comprehensive plan for a new chapter of excavation.
He said that many questions related to Moenjodaro were yet to be discussed and answered. Therefore, it was necessary to work on the site with a scientific approach, he added.
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February 01, 2009 Sunday Safar 05, 1430
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Eight militants killed, school blown up in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 31: Eight militants, three soldiers and two civilians were killed and several others injured in armed clashes in different areas of Swat on Saturday.
The militants attacked another school with explosives. The building of the primary school for boys in Nengolai was completely destroyed...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20090201
Eight militants killed, school blown up in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 31: Eight militants, three soldiers and two civilians were killed and several others injured in armed clashes in different areas of Swat on Saturday.
The militants attacked another school with explosives. The building of the primary school for boys in Nengolai was completely destroyed.
Hundreds of families have fled the fighting in the troubled region.
Troops engaged militants in Dheri, Kabal, Nengolai, Manglawar, Charbagh and adjoining areas.
Fighting has intensified after the federal government announced that it has adopted a new strategy to crush terrorists in Swat and will establish its writ within weeks in the volatile region.
Shelling by artillery and helicopter gunships on militants’ positions has also been intensified.
The militants attacked security personnel guarding the Mingora-Kabal road near the Aligrama area to ensure safe passage to a convoy between Kanju and Kabal.
The convoy was passing from the area when the militants opened fire on the security personnel, killing three troops.
They were identified as naib subedar Khaliq, nike Naeem and Sarfaraz. Major Javed was injured in the attack.
Troops fired back, killing four militants and arrested six others. Kalashnikovs, hand-grenades and other arms were seized.
Two civilians — Khan Bacha and Mrs Karim — were also killed in the crossfire.
In another incident, militants perched on mountains fired rockets on a military base camp in Kabal, injuring two soldiers. They were identified as Ghazai and Khan Mohammad.
Security forces also exchanged fire with militants in Dheri area, killing two of them on the spot. Two Taliban were killed in Manglawar and Charbagh areas. A Frontier Constabulary man was injured when militants attacked the Kabal police station.
Nengolai, Shakar Dara, Koza and Bara Bandai, Matta, Khwzakhela and Charbagh are under curfew for the past eight days.
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January 31, 2009 Saturday Safar 04, 1430
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Gilani seeks ADB financing for Bhasha dam
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DAVOS, Jan 30: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged the Asian Development Bank to play a leading role in setting up a consortium for financing the $8 billion Bhasha-Diamer dam project.
During a meeting with ADB president Haruhiko Kurodo here on Friday, the prime minister also sought help for continuing Higher Education Commission’s scholarship programme and establishing an engineering university in collaboration with renowned institutions of the world...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20090131
Gilani seeks ADB financing for Bhasha dam
DAVOS, Jan 30: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged the Asian Development Bank to play a leading role in setting up a consortium for financing the $8 billion Bhasha-Diamer dam project.
During a meeting with ADB president Haruhiko Kurodo here on Friday, the prime minister also sought help for continuing Higher Education Commission’s scholarship programme and establishing an engineering university in collaboration with renowned institutions of the world.
He thanked the ADB for timely disbursing the first tranche of $500 million in September last year under the “Pakistan Accelerating Transformation Programme” initiative and expressed the hope that the second tranche would be disbursed by the second quarter of this year.
Mr Gilani briefed Mr Kurodo on structural reforms undertaken with difficult decisions like withdrawal of subsidies.
Mr Kurodo praised the fiscal measures taken by the government and expressed the hope that the process of structural reforms would continue.
He assured Mr Gilani that the ADB would consider Pakistan’s request for financing the dam project and other programmes in energy, infrastructure and education sectors.
Also on Friday, speaking at a session on “Reviving Global Economic Growth”, Mr Gilani suggested that a special session of the United Nations General Assembly be conveyed to chart out a course on future economic policies. He called for changing rules of international finance institutions in line with the existing global realities.
He said the World Bank and IMF had also suggested that these policies should be changed because they had become outdated.—APP
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Nine killed in Swat violence
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 30: Nine people, a woman and two children among them, were killed and 16 others injured as violence continued unabated in Swat on Friday.
Security forces backed by helicopter gunships targeted militants’ positions in Khareeri area of Matta, killing two children and a man. Three others were injured.Two people were killed and five others injured when artillery and helicopter gunships fired shells in the Nengolai area...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat3.htm&date=20090131
Nine killed in Swat violence
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 30: Nine people, a woman and two children among them, were killed and 16 others injured as violence continued unabated in Swat on Friday.
Security forces backed by helicopter gunships targeted militants’ positions in Khareeri area of Matta, killing two children and a man. Three others were injured.Two people were killed and five others injured when artillery and helicopter gunships fired shells in the Nengolai area.
A woman was killed and five other people were injured when a mortar shell hit some houses in the Manglawar area.
Three civilians were killed and three others injured when security forces opened fire at them for violating curfew in Charbagh. The militants fired rockets on the Matta police station on Friday evening, damaging it partially.
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Four die in Malakand bomb blast
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By Gohar Ali Gohar
BATKHELA, Jan 30: Four soldiers were killed and eight others injured when a military convoy hit a roadside bomb near Jalala, a protected area in Malakand on the Peshawar-Mingora road.
The convoy was going from Swat to an area in the south. The bomb, detonated by remote control, destroyed one of the vehicles in the convoy...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat4.htm&date=20090131
Four die in Malakand bomb blast
By Gohar Ali Gohar
BATKHELA, Jan 30: Four soldiers were killed and eight others injured when a military convoy hit a roadside bomb near Jalala, a protected area in Malakand on the Peshawar-Mingora road.
The convoy was going from Swat to an area in the south. The bomb, detonated by remote control, destroyed one of the vehicles in the convoy.
According to local people, when the convoy got stuck in a traffic jam in the Batkhela Bazaar, soldiers fired in the air to clear the way. Two civilian vehicles were hit but no casualty was reported. Commuters and pedestrians left the orad in panic and shops in the bazaar were closed.
On Thursday night, 15 masked men came to the bazaar and searched a makeshift cabin. They left after warning the owner that he would be killed if any ‘contraband’ was found in his shop.
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January 30, 2009 Friday Safar 03, 1430
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Fresh strategy to crush Swat militants: Malik names terror outfits behind insurgency
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: Prime Minister?s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik told the Senate on Thursday that a new strategy had been worked out to combat militancy in Swat.
Winding up a discussion on the situation in Swat, he said he was confident that law enforcers would succeed in flushing out terrorists from the valley in a few weeks...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20090130
Fresh strategy to crush Swat militants: Malik names terror outfits behind insurgency
By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik told the Senate on Thursday that a new strategy had been worked out to combat militancy in Swat.
Winding up a discussion on the situation in Swat, he said he was confident that law enforcers would succeed in flushing out terrorists from the valley in a few weeks.
He did not divulge details of the new strategy, but said he was ready to give an in-camera briefing to members of the house.
The adviser said the situation in Mingora had been brought under control in four to five days through the new policy.
He said the organisations behind the trouble in Swat included Al Qaeda, Tehrik-i-Taliban led by Maulana Fazlullah, Tanzeem-i-Islami, Tora Bora group and Qari Mushtaq group.
He said that a Taliban ‘commander’, Qari Hussain Ahmed, ran a training camp for suicide bombers in Waziristan and Maulana Naamdaar had a role in bringing suicide bombers from Waziristan to Swat.
Qari Hussain was reported killed in January 2008 when his house was destroyed in an air strike.
Mr Malik said the objective of the militants was not to enforce Shariat, but to destroy Pakistan.
He said the new strategy would effectively deal with elements challenging the government’s writ.
In a blunt warning to the terrorists, he said: “We are after you. We will not let you do what you want to do.”
However, he said, the government would continue to pursue its policy of dialogue, development and deterrence, adding that the use of military force was not the only option for restoring peace.
He asked the militants to stop killing innocent people, lay down arms and start working for the country.
The adviser said that army contingents and paramilitary forces in Swat had been re-energised, curfew had been imposed in some areas and joint pickets had been set up.
He said schools in the valley would get adequate protection on reopening after winter vacations.
Mr Malik appealed to the media to black out terrorists and desist from glorifying them. Those attacking politicians and infrastructure, including schools and basic health units, were enemies of the country, he said.
He told the house that around 1,200 civilians had been killed and 2,000 injured in violence, while 189 military personnel had lost their lives. He said 123 government schools and 10 private schools had been destroyed and many CD shops and barbers’ salons set ablaze. He said a so-called ‘Taliban court’ had ‘summoned’ 40 people.
He stressed that the nation, parliament, media and law enforcers needed to work together at this time.
Earlier, the Senate demanded immediate release and repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who is detained in the US.
The demand was made by Leader of the House Mian Raza Rabbani and endorsed by the house.
Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Mushahid Hussain Sayed and chief of the house’s Functional Committee on Human Rights S.M. Zafar had presented the panels’ reports on the issue.
Mushahid Hussain’s report covered his committee’s meeting with Dr Siddiqui in Texas.
Senator Rabbani said the plight of Dr Siddiqui was a matter of concern and a blatant violation of human rights.
He said the government was ready to bear any additional expenditure on hiring a criminal law expert to plead her case, if needed.
Mr Malik said the US ambassador had told her recently that there had been progress in the case and the detained scientist would return to Pakistan soon.
He said he had twice discussed the issue with the ambassador and conveyed to her the questions which remained unanswered.
He said Dr Siddiqui had obviously been kidnapped and her family had lodged a case in Karachi.
He said the government was offering every possible human and legal help in the case and Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States had been asked to hire best lawyers. Their fee will be paid by the government.Mr Malik said he had taken up the issue of missing children of Dr Siddiqui with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and as a result one of her sons had been sent to Pakistan.
Referring to other missing people, he said the interior ministry was in contact with the provincial governments and law-enforcing agencies and making every possible effort for their recovery. He said a special proforma had been prepared to get more information about missing people from their families.
The adviser claimed that some of the missing people of Balochistan had gone to Afghanistan where they were being trained against Pakistan.
HAJ FARES: The Senate urged the government to subsidise Haj fares.
Deputy Chairman Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali asked leader of the house and Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar to convey the feelings of the house to the government. The minister said he would ask the religious affairs ministry to prepare a summary on the subject.
The deputy chairman said a decision should be taken before the announcement of the new Haj policy.
In reply to a supplementary question, the minister told the house hat PIA would be able to reduce its fares substantially if petrol prices stayed below $50 till the Haj season.
The defence minister said the airline had incurred a huge loss during the first nine months of last year, because of an unprecedented increase in fuel prices and financing cost and depreciation of the rupee. However, it broke even in the last three months of the year.
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January 29, 2009 Thursday Safar 02, 1430
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Seven militants killed in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 28: Seven militants and seven civilians were killed in clashes between the local Taliban and security forces in Swat on Wednesday.
The clash took place when Army Chief General Parvez Ashfaq Kayani was visiting the valley...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20090129
Seven militants killed in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 28: Seven militants and seven civilians were killed in clashes between the local Taliban and security forces in Swat on Wednesday.
The clash took place when Army Chief General Parvez Ashfaq Kayani was visiting the valley.
ISPR’s Swat media centre said that seven militants had been killed and 11 injured in ground and air attacks on militants’ hideouts in Manglawar and Sangota areas. Seven civilians, including a woman, were also killed in crossfire and by shelling.
The ISPR claimed that troops had consolidated their position in the areas once considered to be a stronghold of militants.
Five civilians were killed during the exchange of fire between militants and security forces in Manglawar.
A woman was killed when a mortar shell hit her house in Sairtelegrama area of Charbagh.
A man was killed in a clash in Balogram, near Mingora.
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Army has the will to crush militancy: Kayani
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 28: Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Swat on Wednesday and gave fresh directives for the operation in the volatile valley.
He was briefed by Lt-Gen Ijaz Awan, the in-charge of the Swat operation, on the situation in the region, an ISPR press release said...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20090129
Army has the will to crush militancy: Kayani
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 28: Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Swat on Wednesday and gave fresh directives for the operation in the volatile valley.
He was briefed by Lt-Gen Ijaz Awan, the in-charge of the Swat operation, on the situation in the region, an ISPR press release said.
Official sources said that a new strategy to combat militancy was also discussed.
Addressing troops, Gen Kayani reiterated that the army had both the will and resolve to flush out militants and establish the writ of the government.
“No amount of sacrifice will deter us from doing our duty.” He lauded the morale of troops in the war zone.
During the day-long visit, the COAS met field commanders and troops engaged in the operation. He also met elders of Swat and officials of the civil administration. On arrival, Gen Kayani was received by Peshawar Crop Commander Lt-Gen Mohammad Masood Aslam.
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January 28, 2009 Wednesday Safar 01, 1430
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Mingora under curfew after attack on bus stand
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By Hameedulllah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 27: The authorities imposed curfew in Mingora on Tuesday after about 30 militants entered the general bus stand in the heart of the town and remained in the area for several hours.
A military spokesman denied rumours that the militants had captured the bus stand....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat8.htm&date=20090128
Mingora under curfew after attack on bus stand
By Hameedulllah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 27: The authorities imposed curfew in Mingora on Tuesday after about 30 militants entered the general bus stand in the heart of the town and remained in the area for several hours.
A military spokesman denied rumours that the militants had captured the bus stand.
At least seven civilians, two women among them, were killed and 10 others injured when security forces shelled suspected militant hideouts in Sangota and Charbagh.
Troops clashed with militants in Kanju area of Matta tehsil and in Qambar on the outskirts of Mingora.
Two government schools for boys -- a high school in Dheri on the Matta-Mingora road and a primary school in Koza Dandai -- were blown up although the areas are under curfew.
People of Koza and Bara Bandai have again started leaving their homes and moving to other areas. They had returned to their homes only recently after troops had cleared the areas of militants.
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January 27, 2009 Tuesday Muharram 29, 1430
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Heated debate in NA over govt’s Swat claims
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By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The government told the National Assembly on Monday it was “moving forward” in its bloody anti-terror campaign in Swat valley, but the opposition and at least one member of an allied party disputed Interior Adviser Rehman Malik’s optimistic picture.
“We are moving forward slowly and slowly,” Mr Malik said after two opposition members pointed to possible threat to the lives of some parliamentarians and other political figures from the area whose names had been mentioned in a reported new hit list of the Taliban militants, and added: “I assure the house that in two to three weeks you will see the difference.”...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20090127
Heated debate in NA over govt’s Swat claims
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The government told the National Assembly on Monday it was “moving forward” in its bloody anti-terror campaign in Swat valley, but the opposition and at least one member of an allied party disputed Interior Adviser Rehman Malik’s optimistic picture.
“We are moving forward slowly and slowly,” Mr Malik said after two opposition members pointed to possible threat to the lives of some parliamentarians and other political figures from the area whose names had been mentioned in a reported new hit list of the Taliban militants, and added: “I assure the house that in two to three weeks you will see the difference.”
“It is all lies that are being told,” Pir Haider Ali Shah, a member of government ally Awami National Party (ANP) from the North-west Frontier Province, shouted to interrupt Mr Malik.
The adviser’s claim was also contested by two other opposition members before ANP president Asfandyar Wali, whose party leads the NWFP coalition government, offered an olive branch to the Swat militants after an apparent prompting by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
An angry prime minister sought an expunction of the word “lies” from the official record of the proceedings, but failed to get an order from his own Pakistan People’s Party colleague Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, who was then chairing the house, saying the objectionable remark, made while Mr Malik had the floor with him, did “not come on record”.
In prime minister’s presence, the house also witnessed a brief uproar when some Pakistan Muslim League-N members from the NWFP protested against the allegedly insulting remarks by a senior ANP minister of the provincial government in a speech at Abbottabad town over their opposition to the ANP’s campaign to have the province named as Pakhtunkhawa.
The protests from the benches of the PML-N, which withdrew from Mr Gilani’s coalition government last year after a brief presence, came shortly before his PPP strengthened the treasury benches with the addition of 25-member Muttahida Quami Movement by taking two ministers from the Karachi-based party.
The ANP chief, who spoke after the prime minister went to his desk and had a chat with him, was able to calm down the protesters by offering an apology for the provincial minister’s reported remark and also used the occasion to talk about Swat, where he said “the situation is not the one that we want”.
“Swat is divided in two parts,” he remarked about the influence of militants who, he said, had broken a peace agreement with the provincial government after his party rejected an ultimatum by Waziristan-based Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud to quit the government.
But Mr Wali said he could embrace even those who had sought to kill him in a suicide attack last year if it could bring peace in the area and offered dialogue to Swat militant leader Maulvi Fazlullah, whose brutal campaign for the enforcement of his brand of Islam is marked by a slaughter of opponents of his ideas, a ban on female education and destruction of about 200 schools.
“I am prepared to go to Maulana Fazlullah if he agrees to stop bloodshed,” the ANP president said.
Interior Adviser Malik spoke of a turnaround from what had been a “very bad situation in Swat” after what he called a return to peace in other trouble spots such as Kurram, Khyber, Bajaur and Mohmand agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
“Here we are not playing politics but defending Pakistan,” he said, adding the government opted to fight back rather than hand over the area to the Taliban.But PML-N’s Ayaz Amir questioned Mr Malik’s claims of successes and asked: “Why don’t we admit that the Swat Taliban’s writ was stronger than the writ of the government of Pakistan?”
He said the situation was getting from bad to worse and said: “If this is moving forward then what is moving backward?”
Pakistan Muslim League-Q NWFP president Amir Muqam said he thought he was “seeing a dream” when Mr Malik was speaking about progress against the militants and said his personal employees “telephoned me today from my hujra (guest house) to tell me of bombs falling”.
“There is not even one per cent government writ,” he said about Swat and asked the interior adviser to realise “ground realities”.
The house could not take up any item on the day’s agenda after the question hour before being adjourned until 10am on Tuesday, comparatively early, apparently because of the swearing in of four new federal ministers – two each from the MQM and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam.
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Ace archaeologist Dr Dani dead
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: Internationally acclaimed archaeologist, historian and linguist Prof Dr Ahmad Hasan Dani died here on Monday morning. He was 88.
Dr Dani had been admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences five days ago with heart, kidney and diabetes problems. His condition deteriorated on Sunday night and he was shifted to the ICU where he died....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20090127
Ace archaeologist Dr Dani dead
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: Internationally acclaimed archaeologist, historian and linguist Prof Dr Ahmad Hasan Dani died here on Monday morning. He was 88.
Dr Dani had been admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences five days ago with heart, kidney and diabetes problems. His condition deteriorated on Sunday night and he was shifted to the ICU where he died.
He is survived by his wife, three sons — Dr Anis Ahmad Dani, Navaid Ahmad Dani, Junaid Ahmad Dani — and daughter Fauzia Iqbal Butt. He has left behind a large number of admirers, students and friends to mourn his death.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed profound grief over the death of Prof Dani and described it as a great loss to the nation. He said the country had lost an eminent historian. His death, the president said, had left a vacuum that would be hard to fill.
He said Dr Dani’s contribution to setting up of several museums in the country and his vast publications had set the pace for future course of action in this vital field.
Prof Dani was a world renowned historian. He was regarded as an authority on archaeology, culture, linguistics, Buddhism and Central Asian archaeology and history. He was Professor of Emeritus at the Quaid-i-Azam University, a distinction bestowed on him after his retirement as Dean of the Social Sciences Department in recognition of his contributions. He was founding director of the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations of the university since its establishment in 1997 and founding director of the Islamabad Museum.
During his long career, Prof Dani had held various academic positions and international fellowships and conducted archaeological excavations and research. He received a number of civil awards in Pakistan and abroad. As a recognised linguist, he was proficient in more than 14 national and international languages and dialects.
An ethnic Kashmiri, Dr Dani was born in Basna, in the district Raipur in India, on July 20, 1920. He did his Masters in 1944 and became the first Muslim graduate of Banaras Hindu University. In 1945, Prof Dani started work as an archaeologist with Sir Mortimer Wheeler and took part in excavations in Taxila and Moenjodaro. He was subsequently posted at the Department of Archaeology of British India at Taj Mahal.
After partition, he moved to Dhaka and worked as assistant superintendent of the Department of Archaeology. At that time, he rectified the Verandra Museum in Rajshahi. In 1950, he was promoted to the position of superintendent-in-charge of archaeology. For 12 years (1950-62), Prof Dani worked as associate professor of history at the University of Dhaka and also as curator at Dhaka museum. During this period, he carried out archaeological research on the Muslim history of Bengal.
He also worked as a research fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1958-59). In 1969, he became Asian Fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra. In 1974, he went to the University of Pennsylvania as a visiting scholar. In 1977, he was a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Prof Dani was awarded honorary fellowships of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (1969), German Archaeological Institute (1981), Ismeo, Rome (1986) and Royal Asiatic Society (1991).
He moved to the University of Peshawar in 1962 as professor of archaeology and remained there till 1971. He conducted a number of archaeological explorations and excavations on the Stone Age and Gandhara civilisation in the Northern Areas and guided the resetting and renovation of Lahore and Peshawar museums.
In 1971, he moved to Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad where he established the Faculty of Social Sciences and served as its dean until his retirement in 1980.
He received an honorary doctorate from Tajikistan University in Dushanbe in 1993. The same year, Prof Dani established the Islamabad museum. Between 1992 and 1996, he was appointed adviser on archaeology to the ministry of culture. Between 1994 and 1998, he worked as chairman of the National Fund for Cultural Heritage in Islamabad. In 1997, he became honorary director at the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations.
Dr Dani took part in exclusive excavation works on the pre-Indus civilisation site of Rehman Dheri in northern Pakistan. He also made a number of discoveries of Gandhara sites in Peshawar and Swat and worked on Indo-Greek sites in Dir.
From 1985 he was involved in research focussing on documentation of ancient rock carvings and inscriptions on remains from the Neolithic age in the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan, along with Harald Hauptmann of Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, University of Heidelberg. In 1990-91, he led Unesco’s international scientific teams for the Desert Route Expedition of Silk Road in China and the Steppe Route Expedition of the Silk Road in the former Soviet Union.
He was awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2000 and Sitara-i- Imtiaz in 1969 in recognition of his meritorious contributions. He was also awarded Légion d’Honneur by the French government in 1998, Aristotle Silver Medal by Unesco in 1997, Order of Merit by the government of Germany in 1996 and Knight Commander by the government of Italy in 1994.
Dr Dani authored more than 30 books, the latest being the History of Pakistan published in 2008. His other books include Historic City of Taxila, History of Northern Areas, Romance of the Khyber Pass, New Light on Central Asia, Central Asia Today and Human Records on Karakoram Highway.
He co-authored with J.P. Mohen the Volume III of History of Humanity, and with B.A. Litvinksy The Kushano-Sassanian Kingdom.
He was fluent in Bangla, French, Hindi, Kashmiri, Marathi, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Seraiki, Sindhi, Tamil, Turkish and Urdu languages.
His funeral prayers will be held on Tuesday at the Abbasi market mosque, F-8/3, Islamabad, after Zohr prayers. He will be laid to rest at H-11 graveyard at 2pm.
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Militants in Swat blow up another school
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 26: Militants in Swat blew up another school and at least seven people were killed and several others injured as violence continued on Monday.
It may be mentioned that the authorities issued shoot at sight orders on Sunday for curfew violations in Nengolai, Bara, Koza Banadai, Shakar Dara and Charbagh after the local chapter of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban had issued a list of 40 people — among them ministers, members of the national and provincial assemblies, leaders of the ANP, PPP and PML-Q and local government functionaries — they wanted to appear in their ‘court’....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top6.htm&date=20090127
Militants in Swat blow up another school
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 26: Militants in Swat blew up another school and at least seven people were killed and several others injured as violence continued on Monday.
It may be mentioned that the authorities issued shoot at sight orders on Sunday for curfew violations in Nengolai, Bara, Koza Banadai, Shakar Dara and Charbagh after the local chapter of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban had issued a list of 40 people — among them ministers, members of the national and provincial assemblies, leaders of the ANP, PPP and PML-Q and local government functionaries — they wanted to appear in their ‘court’.
Two people were killed in Manglawar when a shell hit their houses. Ten people, among them children and a woman, were injured when a shell hit their house in Charbagh. A civilian was shot dead for violating curfew in Charbagh.
Local people reported having seen four bullet-ridden bodies in fields in Nengolai area of Kabal, but could not remove them because of curfew.
Most of the people named in the list said they would never appear before any illegal ‘court’ and were not scared of the threat. “We are ready to render any sacrifice and do anything required to protect the life and property of our people,” a leader said.
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January 26, 2009 Monday Muharram 28, 1430
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Shoot at sight orders for curfew violation in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 25: Army troops were authorised on Sunday to shoot at sight curfew violators in Kuza Bandai, Bara Bandai, Ningolai, Chota Kalam and Shakardarra areas of Swat in the wake of reports that Maulana Fazlullah had ‘summoned’ 50 influential people to ‘appear’ before a Taliban ‘court’ within a week.
“People must remain indoors during the curfew,” an army statement said...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20090126
Shoot at sight orders for curfew violation in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 25: Army troops were authorised on Sunday to shoot at sight curfew violators in Kuza Bandai, Bara Bandai, Ningolai, Chota Kalam and Shakardarra areas of Swat in the wake of reports that Maulana Fazlullah had ‘summoned’ 50 influential people to ‘appear’ before a Taliban ‘court’ within a week.
“People must remain indoors during the curfew,” an army statement said.
It may be mentioned that the military had earlier claimed to have ‘cleared’ the areas of militants.
“The military had cleared the areas but militants penetrated them again and it was decided to clear them again and hold on to it to prevent militants’ movement there,” Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told Dawn.
The army, he said, was following a “new strategy to clear” major urban areas and villages from militants. “There is a new vigour and new approach,” Gen Abbas said. “The military will not be static, it will not be reactive. They will be reaching out to people to get their support,” he said.
The statement also confirmed clashes which followed a raid on a militants’ hideout in the Ningolai area in which “eight hardened militants, including ‘commander’ Bakhtiar, were killed”. Security forces also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition.
A senior government official said the new military strategy matched the NWFP government’s demand for “boots on the ground.”
“This has been our longstanding demand,” the official said. He said that militants’ ability to penetrate the district headquarters of Mingora at night was of more concern. “They knock at people’s doors and when they come out, they kill them.”
But a military spokesman said that Mingora “has been secured” and it would be made a ‘role model’ for other areas to fall in line.
According to sources, Maulana Fazlullah made an announcement on his FM radio warning more than 50 people, including MNAs, MPAs, nationalist leaders and other influential people, to appear before an “Islamic court in a week’s time, or face action”.
The broadcast said some of the 50 people had been asked to appear along with their families.
It is learnt that most of the people on ‘the list’ have already left Swat. The only man, who defies militants is veteran ANP leader and former federal minister Afzal Khan Lala, who lives in Durushkhela under the protection of an army unit. He has twice come under militants’ attack.
Others on the list are: PML-Q’s provincial president and MNA Amir Muqam, MNA Muzaffarul Mulk District Nazim Jamal Nasir, former MNA Shujaat Ali Khan, provincial ministers Ayub Asharay and Wajid Ali Khan, MPAs Dr Haider Ali, Dr Shamsher Ali Khan, Sher Shah, Jafar Shah and Waqar Ahmad Khan, former MPAs Irfanullah and Qaimoos Khan and two union council nazims.
“The rest of the people of Swat should feel secure while those who have fled and have not been included in the list may return to their homes,” militants’ spokesman Muslim Khan told journalists on phone.
Meanwhile, militants blew up the remaining portion of a silk factory in the Kambar area of Mingora on Saturday night. The militants had also attacked the factory two days ago.
APP adds: DG ISPR Maj-Gen Athar Abbas has said that security forces will establish peace in the Swat valley.
In an interview with Voice of America, he said: “We are hopeful of establishing peace in Swat. We will not let these militants succeed in their designs.”
He expressed the hope that local notables would stand by security forces to rebuild the masses’ confidence.
Gen Athar said three MNAs and MPAs had returned to Swat from Peshawar and they had also addressed a press conference and started interacting with people.
He said the Lashkars had achieved successes in Fata. However, he said, there was no Lashkar in Swat.
He said intelligence operations were under way to determine the militants’ foreign financiers.
“Mingora has been completely secured. The army has full control over the city and people are supporting and cooperating with the security forces.”
He said all schools were closed in the area because of winter holidays.
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January 25, 2009 Sunday Muharram 27, 1430
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278 families in Dir say polio drops ‘un-Islamic’
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By Our Correspondent
DIR TOWN, Jan 24: At least 278 families in Upper Dir district recently refused to let their children be given anti-polio medicine, describing the drops as “un-Islamic” and characterising the campaign to vaccinate children against the disease as a conspiracy, health officials said.
It was alarming that Dir town, the district headquarters of Upper Dir, was among the places where parents stopped health workers from administering polio drops to children for “religious reasons”. Ten union councils were already excluded from the drive because of heavy snowfall there....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat6.htm&date=20090125
278 families in Dir say polio drops ‘un-Islamic’
By Our Correspondent
DIR TOWN, Jan 24: At least 278 families in Upper Dir district recently refused to let their children be given anti-polio medicine, describing the drops as “un-Islamic” and characterising the campaign to vaccinate children against the disease as a conspiracy, health officials said.
It was alarming that Dir town, the district headquarters of Upper Dir, was among the places where parents stopped health workers from administering polio drops to children for “religious reasons”. Ten union councils were already excluded from the drive because of heavy snowfall there.
The health officials said that parents in Tarpatar, Dir town, Chukiatan, Ganori, Wari, Jabbar, Almas, Bibyawar and Nihagdara did not allow teams to vaccinate children against the crippling disease.
They said that 23 parents in Dir town, six in Chukiatan, 12 in Darora and two in Nihagdara refused to avail the facility. The officials said that because of the parents’ refusal, the drive had to be extended in the region for two days, covering 44 families.
Some cases of polio have been detected in recent months in the aforementioned areas.
During the drive, 94,240 children were given drops, a majority of them (72,898) of ages between 12 and 59 months.
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January 24, 2009 Saturday Muharram 26, 1430
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Suicide attack, explosion in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 23: Two security personnel and three civilians were killed in a suicide attack and a bomb blast near Mingora on Friday.
According to a press release issued by the Swat Media Centre, a car laden with explosives blew up near the Fizagat checkpost, killing two security personnel and injuring 22 others...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20090124
Suicide attack, explosion in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 23: Two security personnel and three civilians were killed in a suicide attack and a bomb blast near Mingora on Friday.
According to a press release issued by the Swat Media Centre, a car laden with explosives blew up near the Fizagat checkpost, killing two security personnel and injuring 22 others.
Troops had signalled the suspicious vehicle to stop and also fired on it, but it accelerated and hit the post.
Three civilians, including a woman, were killed and two soldiers were injured when a security forces’ vehicle hit a roadside bomb near the Takhtaband bypass on the outskirts of Mingora.
Officials said the civilians killed in the blast were passersby.
Security forces, meanwhile, pounded militants’ hideouts with artillery in Chamtali area of Khawazakhela.
Five people, including three children, were killed when a shell hit their house.
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January 22, 2009 Thursday Muharram 24, 1430
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Two schools destroyed
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 21: Taliban militants destroyed another two government-run schools and a health centre as violence continued in Swat on Wednesday.
Explosive devices planted at the government high school for boys and a basic health unit in Sher Falam (Matta tehsil), and government girls primary school in Mangalstan (Charbagh tehsil), went off early in the morning, razing the buildings to the ground. With the destruction of the two schools, the number of schools torched and blown up in the valley rose to 189....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top12.htm&date=20090122
Two schools destroyed
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 21: Taliban militants destroyed another two government-run schools and a health centre as violence continued in Swat on Wednesday.
Explosive devices planted at the government high school for boys and a basic health unit in Sher Falam (Matta tehsil), and government girls primary school in Mangalstan (Charbagh tehsil), went off early in the morning, razing the buildings to the ground. With the destruction of the two schools, the number of schools torched and blown up in the valley rose to 189.
Wednesday’s devastation follows destruction of five schools by militants in Mingora headquarters on Sunday night.
Swat DCO Shaukat Khan Yousafzai confirmed destruction of the schools, saying that most of the 189 schools destroyed by the Taliban were for girls. He said that over 100,000 students had been affected.
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January 20, 2009 Tuesday Muharram 22, 1430
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Militants blow up five more schools
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 19: Suspected militants blew up five government schools in Swat on Monday.
The schools are: high school for boys in Tawheedabad, high school for girls and primary school for boys in Banr, high school in Engaro Dheri and primary school for boys in Mingora.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20090120
Militants blow up five more schools
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 19: Suspected militants blew up five government schools in Swat on Monday.
The schools are: high school for boys in Tawheedabad, high school for girls and primary school for boys in Banr, high school in Engaro Dheri and primary school for boys in Mingora.
A guesthouse of one Hameedullah of Takhtbhai was set on fire in Madyan.
Two paramilitary soldiers were injured when their vehicle hit a mine on Kalam Road in Shen area of Khwazakhela.
Swat District Coordination Officer Shaukat Khan Yousafzai said 182 schools, most of them for girls, had been destroyed by militants, affecting over 100,000 primary- to college-level students.
He said one could understand the reason for which the militants were attacking security forces but destruction of schools by them could not be justified.
Local people said Monday’s attacks might have been carried out in reaction to recent statements made by the federal and provincial information ministers that all schools in the valley would be reopened. They said the ministers were unaware of the situation in the region.
The principal of a private school said the district was under complete control of the militants, adding that attacks on five schools in Mingora testified to the absence of government’s writ.
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January 17, 2009 Saturday Muharram 19, 1430
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Militants attack Wali Khan’s house in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 16: With violence in Swat continuing unabated, militants attacked on Friday the residence of the late ANP leader, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, damaging a portion of the house.
The militants blew up the spacious residence in Jarae near the tourist resort of Madyan...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20090117
Militants attack Wali Khan’s house in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 16: With violence in Swat continuing unabated, militants attacked on Friday the residence of the late ANP leader, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, damaging a portion of the house.
The militants blew up the spacious residence in Jarae near the tourist resort of Madyan.
The blast damaged parts of the residence on the road linking Mingora with Madyan, Behrain and Kalam.
“Phones in the area are out of order and the only information we received from our personnel in Madyan is that a portion of the residence has been damaged,” a police official said. In another incident, militants attacked an army convoy in Chamthali area of Khwazakhela, killing two soldiers and injuring two others.
Troops fired back and, according to local people, the ensuing gunbattle continued for some time.
Meanwhile, a man related to a close aide of Maulana Fazlullah, who is known for issuing decrees through his illegal radio station, has been killed.
It may be mentioned that it is the same aide of Fazlullah who had ordered closure of all girls’ schools in Swat by Jan 15. In Qambar area, militants killed a retired ASI of police.
In Matta tehsil, militants attacked and looted the house of Shangotai union council Nazim Asmatullah Khan. They are also reported to have beaten up women and children of Asmatullah Khan’s family.
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January 15, 2009 Thursday Muharram 17, 1430
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Desperate moves on to secure Swat — the lost valley
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By Ismail Khan
SWAT, known for its green meadows, gushing river and snow-capped mountains, has unfortunately come to relive its historic name, Suvastu — the white serpent — whose tenacity and viciousness has stung the political and military leadership so badly that both are now looking for new ways to put a lid on the monster of growing bloodshed and reclaim its fast-shrinking territory.
The idyllic valley has gone really bad, its image distorted beyond recognition. Pakistan’s most popular tourist destination is now haunted by death and fear; few officials now dare to go and serve there....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20090115
Desperate moves on to secure Swat — the lost valley
By Ismail Khan
SWAT, known for its green meadows, gushing river and snow-capped mountains, has unfortunately come to relive its historic name, Suvastu — the white serpent — whose tenacity and viciousness has stung the political and military leadership so badly that both are now looking for new ways to put a lid on the monster of growing bloodshed and reclaim its fast-shrinking territory.
The idyllic valley has gone really bad, its image distorted beyond recognition. Pakistan’s most popular tourist destination is now haunted by death and fear; few officials now dare to go and serve there.
Nearly 800 policemen — half of the total sanctioned strength of police in Swat, have either deserted or proceeded on long leave on one pretext or the other.
Only one of the 600 police recruits trained by the military at the Punjab Regimental Centre in Mardan, volunteered to go and serve, while the others plainly refused to head to what is now being called the ‘valley of death’.
The second phase of the military operation Rah-i-Haq in July last to regain control of the northern district of the North-West Frontier Province appears to have made little headway.
Many analysts agree that the state writ has shrunk from Swat’s 5337square kilometre area to the limits of its regional headquarters of Mingora — a city of 36 square kilometres.
Indeed, local residents say militants routinely carry out patrolling in Mingora, where its central square, the Green Chowk, came to be known as ‘Chowk Zebahkhana’ or the slaughter square.
Just last month, militants dumped 27 bodies with a warning not to remove the corpses before 11 am. This coupled with sniper attacks forced the traffic cops to refuse duty in the city centre, prompting the military to impose a night curfew in the city, whose population has swelled in recent months for relative security.
Targeted killings have increased and those showing defiance were made examples for others. Pir Samiullah, who had taken on the militants, was killed and his body hung from a pole before it was removed and buried.
Pir’s death and the government’s inability and helplessness to respond in real-time and support him, is perhaps the last nail in the coffin. Officials acknowledge that encouraging and organizing popular support against the militants now is a pipe dream.
Civilian deaths
Contributing further to the already grim scenario is the growing negative public perception of the military operation that they say has killed more civilians than militants.
This public perception has been reinforced by rising civilian casualties, shrinking state authority, militants’ ability to strike anywhere and any time and military’s over-reliance on long-range artillery than putting boots on the ground.
No credible data is available to estimate the number of civilian casualties in the seven-month-old operation due to police absence in most militant-controlled areas and therefore, the resultant lack of reporting. But police officials say the figure ran in hundreds.
The damage caused to property and infrastructure since the emergence of militancy in Swat has been evaluated at Rs3 billion, according to a senior government official, as militants blow up bridges and schools. The number of schools blown up or torched now stands at 181 – the highest perhaps in any insurgency anywhere in the world in an area as small as Swat.
The battle for the airwaves in Swat has taken a new turn. Radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah is back on the air but even his radio has proved to be too weak against his lieutenant Shah Doran whose broadcastes are heard far and wide, thanks to a 500 KV transmitter to defeat government’s efforts to jam his sermons.
The government now plans to overcome the problem by setting up a one megawatt transmitter that, it believes, would effectively silence the militant radio propaganda.
With state authority on the wane in Swat, relationship between the political and military leadership also took a sharp plunge.
Frustration is mounting within the ANP. On December 18, at a parliamentary party meeting at the chief minister’s house, seven of its lawmakers from Swat threatened to resign. “They were very depressed,” said a senior party leader present in the meeting.
Predictably, the issue came up again for discussion at a cabinet meeting the following day, followed by public criticism by Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain that the government was “not satisfied with the military operation”.
Not a child’s play
An interview to a private television channel by senior party leader Hashim Babar accusing the security establishment of fomenting militancy, rubbed more salt into the wounds, sources within the ANP and security establishment acknowledge.
“The military was not happy,” a party official admitted. The ANP MPA from Swat, Mr Ayub Ashari, was called and given a piece of mind, as one official put it: “We have lost 142 men in Swat since July last. This is not child’s play. This is no friendly match,” a visibly angry security official said.
The ANP leaders defend their public statements and one of whom said: “When you see that the operation is not effective and is going on and on, causing more collateral damage, then how can you remain indifferent?”
“The militants have taken over Fata and now they want to take over the province. It’s clear. So should we remain silent and play second fiddle?” he asked. “We have been constrained to re-think our support to the military operation,” he said.
Security officials say that the political leadership at the helm was also to blame for failing to put in place a civil administration that responds to public needs and generate public support.
“We should have had the back-up support from the police and the civil administration which is not there. This has put us on the back foot,” the security official said.
“It’s a tough area and when you operate in an area where you don’t know who the enemy is and who your friends are, it makes things a lot more difficult,” he said.
But before things could reach breaking point, Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani intervened. On December 25, in a meeting with the army chief, the political leadership agreed to overcome its differences with the military high command and devise a new strategy.
Shariah law
But that may leave another issue unaddressed. Both sides are piqued that the federal government was also dragging its feet on the amendments proposed in the so-called Shariah regulation promulgated in 1999.
The amendments, part of the May 2008 agreement with the militants in Swat, say the ANP leaders are central to helping restore peace in Malakand Provincially-Administered Tribal Area, of which Swat is a district.
President Asif Zardari returned the summary containing the proposed amendments with observations.
“Being head of a secular liberal party, he is worried that introducing Shariah in Malakand would harm his international image,” they said.
“What we are trying to do is to convince him that we are not enacting a new law. These are amendments to a law that already exists,” explained the senior ANP leader.
The new strategy, however, has already been put in motion. While the NWFP government awaits Mr Zardari’s approval to the amendments, it is working on a public statement that would commit the government to introduce Islamic judicial system in Malakand.
The statement – a suggestion by octogenarian Sufi Muhammad – is still in the works and does not include a time-frame. In return, the head of the banned Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi, has offered to leave his protest camp at Timergarah in native Dir and go to Swat to convince the militants to lay down their arms.
“I am an old man. I know I may be killed in the process but it’s worth the sacrifice,” a source privy to behind-the-scene negotiations quoted him as saying.
The security official concurred. “Whether the government introduces the amendments or issues a public statement, it would deny the militants the moral high ground of fighting for Shariah.”
Simultaneously, the government is also working, albeit quietly, to incorporate some of Sufi Muhammad’s suggestions in the proposed amendments to make it more acceptable to him and strengthen his hands vis-à-vis the militants.
New strategy
The military, meanwhile, has begun to implement the new strategy since last week which, it says, would focus more on consolidating and securing the main supply routes and urban and rural centres “by putting more boots on the ground.”
Presently, it has four brigades in Swat including one from Rawalpindi overseen by a GOC (General Officer Commanding). “We have made some adjustments and we should be okay with it,” the official said.
To begin with, the military is gearing up to secure Mingora and its outer-parameters.
For its part, the government has agreed to depute three MPAs from Swat to set up a secured camp office in Mingora to touch base with their electorate and garner the essential public support.
But analysts say that while there has to be a more concerted and focussed military operation to overcome the militancy, the government too needs to devise a back-up socio-economic development plan to put in place once an area is cleared and returned to the civil administration.
“This is a fight to defend a state system. There is growing cynicism amongst the people in Swat whose feeling of helplessness has been compounded by the state to provide security and social service delivery. This is where we all have to act, the sooner the better. The blame-game is not going to take us anywhere,” a senior official said.
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January 07, 2009 Wednesday Muharram 09, 1430
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Taliban kill six security personnel in Mingora
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 6: Six bullet-ridden bodies of security personnel, who had been kidnapped by Taliban militants a few days ago, were found here on Tuesday.
The militants brought the six to the College Square here on Monday night and shot them.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top8.htm&date=20090107
Taliban kill six security personnel in Mingora
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Jan 6: Six bullet-ridden bodies of security personnel, who had been kidnapped by Taliban militants a few days ago, were found here on Tuesday.
The militants brought the six to the College Square here on Monday night and shot them.
About 32 people have been killed in Swat in the six days since the beginning of the New Year.
According to a press release issued by the Swat media centre, security forces have started patrolling the streets of Mingora to curb violent activities being carried out by militants loyal to hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah.
SCHOOL SET ABLAZE: Meanwhile, a girls’ high school was set ablaze by suspected militants in Fatehpur area of Khwazakhela.
The furniture and record of the school were reduced to ashes. Militants in Swat have so far torched or blown up 104 girls’ and 62 boys’ schools.
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Report on Buddha statues rejected, re-examination ordered
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Bhagwandas
KARACHI, Jan 6: The federal archeology department has rejected the report submitted by its “experts” regarding the two Buddha statues caught by the customs department on Dec 19.
A fresh inquiry into the matter is now set to take place....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local3.htm&date=20090107
KARACHI: Report on Buddha statues rejected, re-examination ordered
Bhagwandas
KARACHI, Jan 6: The federal archeology department has rejected the report submitted by its “experts” regarding the two Buddha statues caught by the customs department on Dec 19.
A fresh inquiry into the matter is now set to take place.
According to well-placed sources, the department has ordered a re-examination of the statues, said to be “Gandhara objects”, by a two-member team, which must include at least “one expert on the subject”.
These Buddha statues were being sent to China by mail, but were caught by the customs staff in Karachi. The archeology department was then approached to ascertain whether the statues were genuine antiques or not and whether they could be legally sent out of the country.
The Antiquities Act 1975 bans the movement of antiques as well as replicas within and out of the country.
The sources said that one of the two “experts” sent earlier was the museum’s curator, Mohammad Shah Bokhari, who is a scholar of the Arabic language and manuscripts, while the other member, Mr Waseem, is a photo printer in the department.
In their report, these “experts” had not mentioned whether the statues were antiques or replicas. Even the material of the statues was not mentioned in the report submitted to the archeology department’s director general, said the sources.
The department rejected the report, and in its Dec 31 directive to National Museum superintendent, Shamsuddin Jatoi, it has ordered him to have the Buddha statues re-examined.
The department’s letter on the subject, titled “seizure of objects at international mail office”, addressed to Mr Jatoi, says that the “examination report does not contain information regarding whether the objects in question detained by customs Karachi are genuine or otherwise.
“As such it is requested that the material in question may please be re-examined by Superintendent National Museum Karachi along with expert in the subject and the examination report may please be furnished to this office for taking further necessary action.”
Responding to Dawn’s queries, the Director-Generel of the Archeology Department, Dr Fazaldad Kakar, confirmed that the earlier examination report did not contain vital information on the statues, including their “age” as well as their status as antiques, fakes or replicas.
The report also omitted to mention what material the statues were made from. Dr Kakar conceded that Mr Bokhari, a member of the “expert” committee, was a scholar of Arabic and Arabic manuscripts. He said, however, that Mr Bokhari had much experience and had been working for the department for several decades. The other person, Mr Waseem, was a photographer, and not technically trained.
He said that he had made it clear in the latest directive calling for fresh examination of the statues that one of the committee members should be an expert in the subject (the Ghandhara era, in this case), and the other member would be the National Museum superintendent Shamsuddin Jatoi. He had not yet received the re-examination report and it was expected in a day or two, added Mr Kakar.
National Museum curator Mr Bokhari in his – now rejected - examination report on the subject “referred to a letter No DC/92/2008/JIAP, dated Dec 19, 2008” had said that “the undersigned along with Mr Waseem, photo printer, department of Archeology and Museum visited the office of additional collector of customs, Air Freight Unit, FIAP, MCC (preventive), Karachi on December 20, 2008 and checked the detained statues in parcel bearing EMS No EE001501272 PK destined for China.
“The said consignment was opened in the presence of Mr Ali Zeb Khan, Assistant Collector, Model Custom Collector (Preventive). After carefully and thoroughly checking and examination of the said confiscated material it was found that the objects in question are considered to be Ghandhara objects dating from 2nd to 5th Century AD and come under the purview of Antiquities Act, 1975.”
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January 03, 2009 Saturday Muharram 05, 1430
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Swat clashes claim eight lives
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 2: Continuing violence in Swat Valley on Friday claimed the lives of eight people, including two FC soldiers and a ‘dancing girl’.
Throat-slit bodies of the Frontier Corps soldiers were found in Odigram in the outskirts of Mingora. Abdul Hameed and Rehmat Gul had been kidnapped the previous day ago in the same area...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat9.htm&date=20090103
Swat clashes claim eight lives
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Jan 2: Continuing violence in Swat Valley on Friday claimed the lives of eight people, including two FC soldiers and a ‘dancing girl’.
Throat-slit bodies of the Frontier Corps soldiers were found in Odigram in the outskirts of Mingora. Abdul Hameed and Rehmat Gul had been kidnapped the previous day ago in the same area.
A chit found near their bodies warned “personnel of law-enforcement agencies will face the same fate”.
A ‘dancing girl’, Shabana, was dragged out of her home in the Bar area and sprayed with bullets in the Green Chowk.
Swat was once famous for its dancing girls, but after the rise of militancy, these women abandoned their ‘profession’ and were forced to live their lives in poverty.
After militants gained ground in the area, Ms Shabana appeared in some video plays to earn money but could not evade militants’ wrath despite abandoning her occupation.
Meanwhile, two people were killed by security forces in Shakardara for violating curfew. Bodies of the dead, Amir Hamdullah and Mohammad Kareem, could not be buried because of curfew restrictions.
A local leader of Awami National Party, Gul Deedar, was killed by militants in Utroar, Kalam Valley. Another man, Shaukat Khan, was killed at Gogdara and a doctor, Khan Sherin, was shot dead while he was on his way home from his clinic in Amankot in the evening.
Security forces claimed advancing in the north of Mingora and said they had set up a check-post at Madyan, a former tourist spot around 56 kilometres from here.
Curfew was imposed in the area prior to their advance, which was covered by artillery shelling, towards Kalam.
A jirga of tribal elders in Kalam negotiated with militants, persuading them to pull out of the area.
Curfew in some areas, including Shakardara, Khwazakhela and Fizza Gut, entered the 10th day on Friday.
The closure of most routes in northern parts of the valley has led to a shortage of foodstuffs, forcing people to move to other areas.
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December 23, 2008 Tuesday Zilhaj 24, 1429
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15 militants, two soldiers killed in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Dec 22: Fifteen militants and two security personnel were killed in clashes and bombings in Shakar Darra area of Swat on Monday.
According to the Swat Media Centre, security forces cordoned off the Shakar Darra valley, a stronghold of Taliban, and launched an offensive after a militant attack on a checkpost...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20081223
15 militants, two soldiers killed in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Dec 22: Fifteen militants and two security personnel were killed in clashes and bombings in Shakar Darra area of Swat on Monday.
According to the Swat Media Centre, security forces cordoned off the Shakar Darra valley, a stronghold of Taliban, and launched an offensive after a militant attack on a checkpost.
Local people were asked to leave the area before the operation was started. Later a curfew was imposed. Fierce clashes continued for several hours in which both sides used heavy weapons.
The security personnel who died were identified as Ashaq Hussain and Saeed Uddin. Six security men were injured.
According to a press release issued by the Swat Media Centre, the command and control system of the militants has been destroyed.
Two women, Zenat and Bakht Rana, were killed and four people were injured when a shell fell on their house. They were taken to the DHQ hospital in Saidu Sharif.
Meanwhile, two beggars, a woman and her daughter, were gunned down at the busy Nishat Chowk in Mingora on Monday night. The bodies were taken to the Saidu hospital for autopsy.
Three bodies were found in different areas of Swat late on Sunday night.
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December 22, 2008 Monday Zilhaj 23, 1429
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Six killed in Swat violence
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Dec 21: A councillor and his son were among six people killed in incidents of violence in the restive Swat valley on Sunday. Several other people were injured.
Three members of a family were killed and three people were injured when shells hit houses in Wenai area of Mata tehsil. The shells were fired by security forces on militants’ positions in the region after an attack on a security checkpoint in Wenai...
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Six killed in Swat violence
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Dec 21: A councillor and his son were among six people killed in incidents of violence in the restive Swat valley on Sunday. Several other people were injured.
Three members of a family were killed and three people were injured when shells hit houses in Wenai area of Mata tehsil. The shells were fired by security forces on militants’ positions in the region after an attack on a security checkpoint in Wenai.
Union Councilor Faridoon Khan and his son Karimullah were killed and their house and shop were torched by Taliban militants in Mingora city.
The bullet-riddled bodies of both father and son were found lying at the Haji Baba Chowk. A note found with the bodies said: “Cruel people will meet the same fate.”
A property dealer was shot dead by unknown men in Kanju.
Meanwhile, 40 supporters of late Pir Samiullah were set free by followers of hardliner cleric Maulana Fazlullah on Sunday. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that charges were not proved against them.
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December 03, 2008 Wednesday Zilhaj 4, 1429
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Soldier among 13 dead in Swat clashes
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Dec 2: One soldier, six militants and six civilians were killed and several others wounded in an exchange of fire and shellings in Swat valley on Tuesday.
According to the government media centre, the soldier was killed when militants ambushed a convoy in Deolai area of tehsil Kabal early in the morning. The soldier was identified as Shaukat....
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Soldier among 13 dead in Swat clashes
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Dec 2: One soldier, six militants and six civilians were killed and several others wounded in an exchange of fire and shellings in Swat valley on Tuesday.
According to the government media centre, the soldier was killed when militants ambushed a convoy in Deolai area of tehsil Kabal early in the morning. The soldier was identified as Shaukat.
The Inter Services Public Relations said that six militants were killed when helicopter gunships shelled their positions.
Six non-combatants, four of them members of a family, were killed and several others injured when some shells hit a civilian area. In Sar Senai area of tehsil Kabal a man was shot dead by suspected militants.
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November 26, 2008 Wednesday Ziqa'ad 27, 1429
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Naib nazim among 4 killed in Swat
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MINGORA, Nov 25: Four persons including naib nazim of Matta tehsil were killed and four others sustained injuries in separate incidents of violence in restive Swat valley on Tuesday.
In the first incident, unidentified persons ambushed the car of Liaqat Ali Khan, naib nazim of Matta tehsil council, at the security post near Wenai area. They opened indiscriminate firing on the vehicle, killing him on the spot and injuring his associate Hussain critically. The naib nazim was coming to Matta from his residence in Koz Shower in his car along with his friend....
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MINGORA: Naib nazim among 4 killed in Swat
MINGORA, Nov 25: Four persons including naib nazim of Matta tehsil were killed and four others sustained injuries in separate incidents of violence in restive Swat valley on Tuesday.
In the first incident, unidentified persons ambushed the car of Liaqat Ali Khan, naib nazim of Matta tehsil council, at the security post near Wenai area. They opened indiscriminate firing on the vehicle, killing him on the spot and injuring his associate Hussain critically. The naib nazim was coming to Matta from his residence in Koz Shower in his car along with his friend.
In another incident, a butcher was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Kala Kalley of tehsil Kabal.
Meanwhile, a local identified as Munir Khan was killed by unidentified persons in Droshkhela area of Matta on Tuesday. The third person namely Nadar Khan was killed in Dangram area over old enmity.
Separately, three persons including two currency dealers, Bahri Karam and Izat Khan, were injured in the busy Mingora bazaar in broad daylight.
Meanwhile, five bodies were reportedly found in Kabal Khas but no government authorities confirmed the report.
VISIT: Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Mohammad Masood Aslam visited Swat valley on Tuesday.
According to a press release issued by the Swat Media Centre the corps commander was briefed on the latest situation in the valley and the humanitarian services rendered by security forces to the people of Swat.—Correspondent
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22. / 23.11.2008 ./.
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November 21, 2008 Friday Ziqa'ad 22, 1429
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Seven women among 24 killed in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 20: Sixteen militants were killed and several others wounded when air force planes attacked a camp the insurgents were running in a government school building and two houses in Gat area and Peuchar areas of Swat’s Matta tehsil on Thursday.
It is learnt that seven women were killed and 25 people were injured when mortar shells hit several houses in Alam Gunj area of Khwazakhel. The injured were taken to the tehsil hospital in Khwazakhela and those with severe injuries were later referred to a hospital in Saidu Sharif.....
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Seven women among 24 killed in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 20: Sixteen militants were killed and several others wounded when air force planes attacked a camp the insurgents were running in a government school building and two houses in Gat area and Peuchar areas of Swat’s Matta tehsil on Thursday.
It is learnt that seven women were killed and 25 people were injured when mortar shells hit several houses in Alam Gunj area of Khwazakhel. The injured were taken to the tehsil hospital in Khwazakhela and those with severe injuries were later referred to a hospital in Saidu Sharif.
A local political leader was gunned down in Matta.
Meanwhile, six barber shops were blown up in Qamber, near the district headquarters in Mingora. Barbers in Swat region have been facing threats from militant organisations for a long time and followers of Maulana Fazlullah have been asking them to wind up their business.
Security forces claimed to have arrested five militants in Kanju.
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November 19, 2008 Wednesday Ziqa'ad 20, 1429
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Seven militants, one soldier killed in Swat clashes
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 18: Seven militants and one soldier were killed as military operation continued in Swat on Tuesday.
According to an ISPR press release, troops on patrol came under attack in Kanju area and one soldier was killed. Seven militants were killed and several others injured when troops attacked militants’ positions in Akhund Kalley, Zora, Dagai and other areas of Kabal tehsil. Security forces arrested 27 militants....
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Seven militants, one soldier killed in Swat clashes
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 18: Seven militants and one soldier were killed as military operation continued in Swat on Tuesday.
According to an ISPR press release, troops on patrol came under attack in Kanju area and one soldier was killed. Seven militants were killed and several others injured when troops attacked militants’ positions in Akhund Kalley, Zora, Dagai and other areas of Kabal tehsil. Security forces arrested 27 militants.
Meanwhile, Brig Haroon Malik distributed cheques for Rs46.5 million among 20 people affected by the operation in the valley.
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Troops kill five militants
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By Faiz Muhammad
CHARSADDA, Nov 18: Security forces killed five militants and a woman and wounded five others in Mian Kalley area of Shabqadar on Tuesday.
Sources said a large number of militants had ambushed a military convoy going to Mian Kalley from Juma Khan Korona. Troops returned fire and killed five of the assailants.....
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Troops kill five militants
By Faiz Muhammad
CHARSADDA, Nov 18: Security forces killed five militants and a woman and wounded five others in Mian Kalley area of Shabqadar on Tuesday.
Sources said a large number of militants had ambushed a military convoy going to Mian Kalley from Juma Khan Korona. Troops returned fire and killed five of the assailants.
The woman, identified as wife of Haji Gul Syed, was killed and five passersby were injured in crossfire.
Helicopter gunships also took part in the operation and pounded hideouts of militants.
Militants’ positions in Shinow Ghundai, Darwazgai and Qilla Shah Beg were also targeted with artillery from Warsak, Subhani Khwar and Juma Khan Korona.
Three militants were arrested.
The sources said hundreds of people were leaving their homes in Shabqadar and villages along the Mohmand border and going to Peshawar and other places.
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November 18, 2008 Tuesday Ziqa'ad 19, 1429
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4 killed in Swat attack
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MINGORA, Nov 17: Four security personnel were killed and seven others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a checkpost in a remote area of Swat on Monday.
The checkpost is located on the Kalam Road in remote Gashkor area of Khwazakhela tehsil. The injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Saidu Sharif....
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4 killed in Swat attack
MINGORA, Nov 17: Four security personnel were killed and seven others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a checkpost in a remote area of Swat on Monday.
The checkpost is located on the Kalam Road in remote Gashkor area of Khwazakhela tehsil. The injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Saidu Sharif.
According to hospital sources four security personnel were killed, but a military spokesman put the death toll at three.
Troops cordoned off the area and imposed a curfew.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed responsibly for the attack.—Correspondent
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November 16, 2008 Sunday Ziqa'ad 17, 1429
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Nine militants killed in Swat clashes
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 15: Nine militants, including a local Taliban commander, were killed and 15 others injured in clashes with security forces in Swat on Saturday.
According to a press release of the Swat Media Centre, seven militants, including commander Ali Rehman of Dherai, were killed and eleven others injured in a clash with security forces in Kabal.....
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Nine militants killed in Swat clashes
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 15: Nine militants, including a local Taliban commander, were killed and 15 others injured in clashes with security forces in Swat on Saturday.
According to a press release of the Swat Media Centre, seven militants, including commander Ali Rehman of Dherai, were killed and eleven others injured in a clash with security forces in Kabal.
Two militants were killed and four injured in Sambat area of Matta tehsil in an exchange of fire between troops and militants loyal to hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah.
The security forces targeted suspected hideouts of militants in Kabal, Peuchar and Manja.The district administration, with the help of different NGOs, has set up four relief camps for affected people one each in Tahirabad, Shahdara and two in Balogram.
The statement said the affected people were getting all necessities in the camps.
Residents said helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militants’ positions in curfew-bound areas of Kabal Khas, Zora and Akhund Kalley.
Militants blew up a bridge in Sambat area, disrupting the land route to Matta, Khwazakhela, and Skhara areas of Swat.
Two snooker clubs, a video game and CD centres were set on fire by militants in Haji Baba, RanMohalla and Sharifabad areas of Mingora.
A watchman, identified as Ihsanullah, was buried under the debris as roof of the snooker club collapsed.
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November 15, 2008 Saturday Ziqa'ad 16, 1429
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Glacial lakes pose threat to Gojal villages
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By Jamal Shahid
ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Passu, Batora, Sheripaigh and Ghulkin glaciers may be the remotest places on earth but they are at the heart of the problem two researchers from Wales are facing in investigating what really caused glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) in Gojal, upper Hunza this year.
Three glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have hit three villages – Passu, Ghulkin and Hussain -- in Gojal Tehsil, upper Hunza damaging properties, livestock, orchards and disrupting trade and traffic on Karakoram Highway in recent past.....
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Glacial lakes pose threat to Gojal villages
By Jamal Shahid
ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Passu, Batora, Sheripaigh and Ghulkin glaciers may be the remotest places on earth but they are at the heart of the problem two researchers from Wales are facing in investigating what really caused glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) in Gojal, upper Hunza this year.
Three glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have hit three villages – Passu, Ghulkin and Hussain -- in Gojal Tehsil, upper Hunza damaging properties, livestock, orchards and disrupting trade and traffic on Karakoram Highway in recent past.
The two glaciologists, Duncan Quincey and Shaun Richardson, from the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, specially flew in to study what had caused the GLOFs.
They did not rule out potential threat the glacial environment is posing for human settlements.
The researchers, who studied the Ghulkin glacier for three weeks, believe that glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) caused inundations.
The researchers, who have been monitoring Ghulkin glacier and comparing it with those in Nepal, Bhutan and India said, “Glof is a new phenomenon that people have started to talk about in Pakistan,” said Shaun Richardson, who has been studying the hazards of melting glaciers across South Asia.
“Glofs are potentially dangerous because melt water gets blocked inside a glacier. It can burst anytime. We cannot see it coming and that is what makes them a bigger problem than the larger glacial surface lakes,” Mr Shaun said.
Karakoram glaciers were healthier than Himalayans that were melting faster, said Duncan Quincey.
“Karakoram glaciers behave differently to those in Himalayas. There, lakes form above glaciers because they are stagnant, like the Tsho Rolpa in Nepal. However, glaciers in Karakoram are active, maintaining their natural balance. Melt water build up inside and not on surfaces. These trapped lakes can burst anytime when glaciers travel tens or hundreds of meters down the valley a year. It is hard to work when scale of the problem is hidden,” Duncan Quincey said.
He said glaciers were melting because of global warming. People in these remote areas believe that more than 50 glaciers could be in danger of bursting through their natural barriers and flood the valleys.
“But it is difficult to tell which glaciers are hazardous. Studies are very much in early stages and glacier lakes have not been identified. Our project was very Ghulkin-specific. The region has a history of floods such as Shimshal where travelling glaciers blocked the valley and lakes built up behind them,” he said.
The two glaciologists said they were trying to work with people of the region, UNDP, Focus Humanitarian Assistance and WWF to develop a project to undertake vigorous hazardous assessment.
“There is a lot more to learn. And it is imperative to identify areas of risk and measures to protect, people, their properties, and hydropower from lake outbursts,” said Duncan Quincey hoping that a central coordination system would be formed aiming towards the same goal.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has selected Passu and Ghulkin glaciers for conducting research on glacial changes caused by global warming.
A number of villages in Gojal tehsil, home to many glaciers including Batura (57km) in Passu, which is one of the world’s longest and largest glaciers outside polar region, Verjerav glacier in Shimshal, and Ghulkin glacier have witnessed dramatic changes in recent years.
A glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) on June 14 hit Ghulkin village, some 135km north of Gilgit, causing massive damage to houses, cattle pens, potato and wheat crops, orchards and irrigation channels and blocked Karakoram Highway (KKH) suspending trade and traffic between Gojal and rest of the district.
Similar GLOFs on May 21 and 25 at the same point had caused huge damages to the public property and the KKH.
The glaciers in the Himalayas are receding faster than in any other part of the world and, if the present rate continues, a large number of them may disappear by 2035 because of climate change, warn environmentalists and geologists.
The Himalaya and Karakoram ranges have the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps. That is why, they are called the “Water Towers of Asia.”
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./. 14.11.2008
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November 13, 2008 Thursday Ziqa'ad 14, 1429
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Eight militants killed in Swat
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MINGORA, Nov 12: Eight militants and one paramilitary soldier were killed in fierce clashes between security forces and the Taliban in Swat on Wednesday.
According to military officials, troops attacked militants’ positions in Kabal Khas, Zora and Akhund Kalley of Kabal tehsil. They said that one soldier had been killed and two injured during the operation......
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Eight militants killed in Swat
MINGORA, Nov 12: Eight militants and one paramilitary soldier were killed in fierce clashes between security forces and the Taliban in Swat on Wednesday.
According to military officials, troops attacked militants’ positions in Kabal Khas, Zora and Akhund Kalley of Kabal tehsil. They said that one soldier had been killed and two injured during the operation.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed that 25 security personnel had been killed in two days of fighting. Security forces are reported to be facing resistance from the militants in Akhund Kalley area.—Correspondent
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November 12, 2008 Wednesday Ziqa'ad 13, 1429
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Diamer-Bhasha Dam project gets go-ahead
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By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project.
Work on the dam would begin in September next year and the total cost of the project has been estimated at $12.6 billion. The deadline for completion is 2016.....
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Diamer-Bhasha Dam project gets go-ahead
By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project.
Work on the dam would begin in September next year and the total cost of the project has been estimated at $12.6 billion. The deadline for completion is 2016.
The Ecnec meeting, presided over by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Shaukat Tarin, also sanctioned Rs60 billion for land acquisition for the dam.
Pre-qualification of bids for the 272-metre-high dam, with a capacity to generate 4,500MW of electricity per day, will start by the end of the month.
After completion of pre-qualification, civil work will begin on the main dam, diversion of tunnels and an underground power house.
Ecnec also approved upgradation of the Karakoram Highway to facilitate the dam’s construction.
The Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf, told a press conference that about 28,000 people, or 4,250 families, would be affected by the project in the NWFP and Northern Areas.
The minister said that leading companies from China and Middle East were ready to invest in the dam.
He said Chinese companies were willing to form a consortium and invest in the project on build-operate-transfer basis. Arab companies were also ready to proceed on the same lines.
Mr Ashraf said that European companies, however, wanted to operate on the basis of ‘supplier’s credit’.
“We can easily generate an investment of $1.5 billion per year required for the dam.”
When asked as to how the government would resolve a possible tussle over royalty between the NWFP and N. Areas, the minister said royalty would go to the area in which the main dam would be built.
The project would pay off its cost within seven years of commissioning, because it would generate electricity worth $1.5 billion and supply irrigation water worth $600 million per year.
An investment of $30 billion was needed by 2015 to raise electricity generation capacity from 18,000MW to 33,000MW, the minister said.
In reply to a question, he said that the government would announce relief in the power tariff in a few days.
Wapda Chairman Shakeel Durrani said that the process for land acquisition and payment of compensation would be completed in a few months.
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Four militants, girl killed in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 11: Four militants and a girl were killed and several others wounded when security forces attacked militants’ positions in Swat’s Kabal area on Tuesday.
Troops, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, bombed hideouts in Kabal Khas, Akhund Kalley and Zwara areas. A curfew was enforced during the operation.....
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Four militants, girl killed in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 11: Four militants and a girl were killed and several others wounded when security forces attacked militants’ positions in Swat’s Kabal area on Tuesday. Troops, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, bombed hideouts in Kabal Khas, Akhund Kalley and Zwara areas. A curfew was enforced during the operation.
An ISPR spokesman, Colonel Nadeem, said four militants had been killed and two soldiers injured in the Kabal operation.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed that two security personnel had been killed in the fighting.
Sources said a six-year-old girl died when a mortar shell landed near a house in Mohammad Baig area. A number of houses were destroyed in the shelling.
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November 10, 2008 Monday Ziqa'ad 11, 1429
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Journalist killed in Swat firing
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 9: A journalist was killed after security forces personnel allegedly fired on his vehicle while he was returning home from a hospital on Saturday night. The death of Qari Shoaib, who worked for an Urdu newspaper, sparked protests and local journalists held a demonstration on Sunday.
Qari Shoaib was returning home from the hospital where his daughter is under treatment when his car came under fire near Green Chowk. He suffered serious injuries and died soon after. He was laid to rest at his ancestral Ushu village in Kalam Area. Qari Shoaib has left behind two wives, three daughters and a son.....
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Journalist killed in Swat firing
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 9: A journalist was killed after security forces personnel allegedly fired on his vehicle while he was returning home from a hospital on Saturday night. The death of Qari Shoaib, who worked for an Urdu newspaper, sparked protests and local journalists held a demonstration on Sunday.
Qari Shoaib was returning home from the hospital where his daughter is under treatment when his car came under fire near Green Chowk. He suffered serious injuries and died soon after. He was laid to rest at his ancestral Ushu village in Kalam Area. Qari Shoaib has left behind two wives, three daughters and a son.
He is the third journalist killed in Swat this year. On Feb 29, Sirajuddin Khan, was killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a funeral on Feb 29, killing 42 people.
Another journalist, Abdul Aziz, was killed when PAF jets bombed a militants’ hideout in Peuchar Valley on Aug 29. Mr Aziz had been kidnapped a few days earlier by the Taliban.
An emergency meeting of journalists was held at the Press Club here. It was attended by members of the Mingora Union of Journalists and Swat Union of Journalists. They condemned the incident as a targeted killing and demanded an independent inquiry.
The meeting was addressed by chief organiser of the Swat Press Club, Ghulam Farooq, chairman Salahuddin, general secretary Fazal Raheem, Swat Union of Journalist president Rasheed Iqbal and Mingora Union of Journalist president Syed Shahabuddin.
The protesters marched to the Circuit House, holding banners and placards with slogans demanding protection of journalists and arrest of the killers.
Later, a four-member committee Ghulam Farooq, Mumtaz Ahmad Sadiq, Ghafoor Khan and Rasheed Iqbal met Brigadier Iqbal at the Circuit House and urged him to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) announced that a black day would be observed against the killing of Qari Muhammad Shoaib.
Addressing the journalists in Swat by telephone, PFUJ secretary general Mazhar Abbas condemned the killing and said that he would raise the issue in national and international forums.
He said that the PFUJ would urge the federal information minister to order an impartial inquiry into the murder.
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November 09, 2008 Sunday Ziqa'ad 10, 1429
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Shelling kills eight in Matta village
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 8: Eight villagers were killed and several others injured when mortar shells hit houses in Kherari village of Matta tehsil on Saturday.
Residents said that security forces pounded suspected locations after militants disguised in FC uniform attacked a convoy near Shangwatai area, leaving three personnel dead and four others wounded....
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Shelling kills eight in Matta village
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 8: Eight villagers were killed and several others injured when mortar shells hit houses in Kherari village of Matta tehsil on Saturday.
Residents said that security forces pounded suspected locations after militants disguised in FC uniform attacked a convoy near Shangwatai area, leaving three personnel dead and four others wounded.
About 10 militants were also killed in the clash, the ISPR media centre said.
The security forces used mortar and artillery to target the militants’ positions.
Several shells hit houses in the Kherari village, killing at least eight people and injuring many others.
The local people organised a demonstration outside the Matta police station to protest against indiscriminate mortar shelling.
Matta DSP Shah Nazar confirmed that eight villagers had been killed in the shelling.
The security forces cordoned off Kabal village and asked the residents to leave the area to avoid collateral damage.
During an exchange of firing, two more militants were killed.
Suspected hideouts in Shamozai area were also shelled from the Chakdarra cantonment, about 12 kilometers from the embattled zone.
In another incident, three militants were killed and one soldier was injured in an exchange of fire in the Wanai area of Matta.
Helicopter gunships pounded militants’ positions and destroyed a compound of Dr Ehsan in Kabal, which was being already used as planning centre by the militants. The compound also housed the Kabal bench of a Shariat Court, the ISPR said.
The security forces asked the residents of Kabal Khas, Zora and Akhund Kallay to leave the area and move to the camp set up in the Belogram area, so that a full-scale operation could be launched against the militants.
Pamphlets were also dropped from an aircraft in Kabal asking the people to leave their houses, triggering an exodus from various localities.
Announcements were made from mosques, urging the people to comply with the orders.
The pamphlets said that a handful of militants were using people as shield to attack the security forces.
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November 07, 2008 Friday Ziqa'ad 8, 1429
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Suicide blast in Swat kills two
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Nov 6: At least two security personnel were killed and several others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a building housing Frontier Corps men near the Swat police lines on Thursday night.
Security personnel cordoned off the area and fired in the air, making it difficult for ambulances to reach the place....
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Suicide blast in Swat kills two
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Nov 6: At least two security personnel were killed and several others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a building housing Frontier Corps men near the Swat police lines on Thursday night.
Security personnel cordoned off the area and fired in the air, making it difficult for ambulances to reach the place.
A local man said some women and children had also been injured. “We can’t take the injured to hospital because of firing by the security personnel,” he said.
He said that the four-storey building near the Ayub Bridge in Kanju had been destroyed.
This was the ninth suicide bombing in Swat area this year.
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November 04, 2008 Tuesday Ziqa'ad 5, 1429
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Five killed, policeman abducted in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 3: Five persons were killed and a policeman was kidnapped in restive Swat region on Monday.
Helicopter gunships also continued to pound militant hideouts in Dhero and Dagai areas of tehsil Kabal. Three vehicles were destroyed in the operation and a cab driver identified as Nadir Khan was killed. A Suzuki pickup and another vehicle also came under the attack.....
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MINGORA: Five killed, policeman abducted in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 3: Five persons were killed and a policeman was kidnapped in restive Swat region on Monday.
Helicopter gunships also continued to pound militant hideouts in Dhero and Dagai areas of tehsil Kabal. Three vehicles were destroyed in the operation and a cab driver identified as Nadir Khan was killed. A Suzuki pickup and another vehicle also came under the attack.
In Kabal Khas four bullet-riddled bodies including a man and son were found on the bank of river Swat on Monday morning.
The killed persons were identified as Fazal and his son Shah Wali Khan and Aziz. The identity of the fourth deceased could not be ascertained.
Local residents after getting information about the presence of bodies reached the spot and laid them to rest in their native town. A large number of people participated in their funeral.
The motive behind the killing was yet to be ascertained as no group claimed responsibility for the killing.
In Allahabad area of Charbagh unidentified persons kidnapped a police constable. Residents of the area said that police constable, Shams, was on his way to Khwazakhela from Mingora when armed men whisked him away near Allahabad area of Charbagh tehsil and shifted him to undisclosed location.
JIRGA: Kanju Peace Jirga has presented four-point formula to local Taliban leadership for restoration of peace in the region.
Taliban have assured the jirga that their demands would be put before the Taliban Shura for consideration, adding the jirga would be informed after the Shura meeting.
The four-point formula include reinforcement of peace accord singed between NWFP government and Swat Taliban, Taliban proposals for amendments to the peace accord, Taliban’s reaction regarding draft of Sharia regulation and resumption of talks or initiation of fresh talks between the two sides to reach an understanding.
Peace jirga chief Syed Inamur Rehman during his recent backdoor meeting with government functionaries and Taliban leaders had expressed optimism that both sides would reach a viable solution to end the ongoing violence in the Swat valley.
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November 03, 2008 Monday Ziqa'ad 4, 1429
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Two troops, 8 militants die in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 2: Two soldiers and eight militants were killed and several others were wounded in fierce clashes in Swat valley on Sunday.
According to an ISPR spokesman, security forces and militants loyal to radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah clashed in Matta and Kabal tehsils....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20081103
Two troops, 8 militants die in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Nov 2: Two soldiers and eight militants were killed and several others were wounded in fierce clashes in Swat valley on Sunday.
According to an ISPR spokesman, security forces and militants loyal to radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah clashed in Matta and Kabal tehsils.
The spokesman said four militants were killed and four injured in Matta. Two security personnel were also killed.
Four militants were killed and two others injured in Kabal tehsil and one of their vehicles was destroyed, he said.
However, militants’ spokesman Muslim Khan denied the official claims and said that only two of their men had been killed. He claimed three soldiers had been killed in an attack on a vehicle.
Meanwhile, helicopter gunships pounded militant positions in Kabal and Dadara and troops attacked militants’ hideouts in Tootano Bandai with heavy artillery.
The military continued its search operation in Sarsenai area where curfew remained in force for the sixth day.
On Sunday, security forces razed over a dozen houses belonging to militants.
Troops also launched a house-to-house search to clear the area of militants.
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November 02, 2008 Sunday Ziqa'ad 3, 1429
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Killing of civilians alleged; ISPR denies charge
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Nov 1: At least 11 non-combatants were killed in Swat in shelling by security forces on Saturday, locals alleged.
Security forces, however, denied the report and claimed that only militants had been targeted...
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top3.htm&date=20081102
Killing of civilians alleged; ISPR denies charge
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Nov 1: At least 11 non-combatants were killed in Swat in shelling by security forces on Saturday, locals alleged.
Security forces, however, denied the report and claimed that only militants had been targeted.
The locals told Dawn that “tragedy” struck “scores of civilians” who were waiting in the Venai village of Matta Tehsil for a curfew to be lifted. The curfew had been clamped on the area recently after an attack by militants on a checkpost.
While security forces were pounding militants’ hideouts, the sources said, two shells landed near the spot where a large number of the “non-combatants” were waiting for a curfew break. The dead hailed from villages across Matta, the locals said.
An ISPR spokesman refuted the account, saying that troops were taking “extraordinary care” in using artillery and mortar guns.
The spokesman accused militants in Venai of using villagers as human shields.
Security forces had targeted the guesthouse of Sher Ali, a militant ‘commander’, he added.
MARKET BLAST: A shop selling video cassettes and CDs was destroyed on Saturday after a blast set off a fire in a market. The explosion also damaged a number of other shops.
A bomb near another CD centre was defused.
POLICEMAN KILLED: The additional station house officer (SHO) of the Khwazakhela police station was killed at a bus stop in Islampur under unexplained circumstances.
He was on his way home. Syed Rehman, a resident of Chethor, was in plain clothes at the time of his death.
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November 01, 2008 Saturday Ziqa'ad 2, 1429
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Suicide bomber hits Mardan DIG office
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By Our Correspondent
MARDAN, Oct 31: Nine people, including four policemen, were killed and 24 others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the office of a senior police officer here on Friday.
Police said the bomber tried to enter the office of DIG Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, who had just returned after attending a press briefing at DPO Muhammad Iqbal Khan’s office....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20081101
Suicide bomber hits Mardan DIG office
By Our Correspondent
MARDAN, Oct 31: Nine people, including four policemen, were killed and 24 others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the office of a senior police officer here on Friday.
Police said the bomber tried to enter the office of DIG Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, who had just returned after attending a press briefing at DPO Muhammad Iqbal Khan’s office.
The man, aged between 20 and 25, was stopped for a body search but he blew himself up when he saw a police van coming out of the building. “There would have been more casualties if he had entered the office,” a police official said.
Two policemen and two civilians are in critical condition and have been sent to a hospital in Peshawar.
The deceased were identified as constables Adil, Tariq, Akhtarzada and Sher Nawaz and Zeeshan, Nasir, Sangeen and Hazrat Gul. The name of the fifth civilian could not be ascertained.
Police said that the bomber’s head and parts of his legs had been sent for DNA test.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack till Friday evening.
An emergency was declared at the District Headquarters Hospital and a large number of people went there to donate blood.
The DIG, who escaped unhurt, said the attack demonstrated militants’ frustration over the successes achieved by police in cooperation with people in their efforts to defeat militancy.
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Taliban vacate area after talks
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MINGORA, Oct 31: Security forces are poised to take control of Sarsenai vacated by Taliban militants after talks with a jirga of elders from Kanju.
“The Taliban have unconditionally vacated the area,” jirga chief Inamur Rehman told newsmen on Friday.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top11.htm&date=20081101
Taliban vacate area after talks
MINGORA, Oct 31: Security forces are poised to take control of Sarsenai vacated by Taliban militants after talks with a jirga of elders from Kanju.
“The Taliban have unconditionally vacated the area,” jirga chief Inamur Rehman told newsmen on Friday.
He said that forces would clear the area of landmines and hand over detained suspects to the local administration for identification and interrogation.
A spokesman for the local Taliban termed the jirga decision “a welcome step taken on the basis of an understanding between local people and the Taliban”.
A military spokesman said they had no role in the talks between the peace jirga and Taliban.
According to the Swat media centre, four militants were killed and nine others injured during operation in different parts of the valley.
The centre said that the operation to clear Sarsenai would continue till the surrender of all militants.
It said that two militants were killed and five others injured during an exchange of fire in Charbagh on Thursday night.
Two more militants were killed and four others were injured in Sar Bandai area of Matta tehsil.
A Hujra of Taliban commander was destroyed and heavy weapons were seized in Sheikho Sar.— Correspondent
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October 29, 2008 Wednesday Shawwal 29, 1429
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Artillery shelling kills two women in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 28: Artillery shelling by security forces killed two women and injured 21 other persons in Sirsenai area of Kabal tehsil in Swat, local residents said.
The security forces pounded positions of militants in different areas as search operation continued for second consecutive day in Sirsenai on Tuesday.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local4.htm&date=20081029
MINGORA: Artillery shelling kills two women in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 28: Artillery shelling by security forces killed two women and injured 21 other persons in Sirsenai area of Kabal tehsil in Swat, local residents said.
The security forces pounded positions of militants in different areas as search operation continued for second consecutive day in Sirsenai on Tuesday.
According to Swat media centre the security forces targeted suspected militant hideouts in Sirsenai and its adjoining areas with artillery from FC camp Kanju and Frontier House Kabal late on Monday night and Tuesday.
Local residents said that several houses came under fire killing two women and injuring 21 other persons including women and children. The injured were rushed to district headquarter hospital Saidu Sharif where condition of some was stated to be critical.
Curfew was imposed in Kanju, Kabal Khas, Kotli and Totano Bandai areas of Kabal on the second day forcing people to remain indoors. The educational institutions, markets and bazaar also remained closed.
The residents of Sirsenai, Tangchai and suburbs vacated their houses and began shifting to safer place due to the uncertain situation. The migrating people were facing hardships in their movement owing to curfew in the area.
MILITANTS INJURED: According to Swat media centre the younger brother and father of key Taliban commander Ibne Amin sustained serious injuries in a clash with the security forces in Sar Banda.
SCHOOL DESTROYED: The Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School Odigram was destroyed as unidentified miscreants detonated an improvised explosive device planted at the school in the night between Monday and Tuesday. The principal office, laboratory and several classrooms of the school were destroyed in the explosion. The attackers later set on fire the furniture and office record.
After the destruction of GGHS school on mains GT road near Mingora city the number of destroyed schools has reached 118.
KIDNAPPED: Four people including a banker were kidnapped by unidentified persons in Mingora on Tuesday.
Relatives of the kidnapped bank officer told police that Maskin Zada of Matta was kidnapped by unidentified persons at gunpoint.
In another incident of kidnapping unidentified persons whisked away three passers-by from the Banr road Mingora on Tuesday and shifted them to undisclosed location in a vehicle.
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October 24, 2008 Friday Shawwal 24, 1429
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Plan to block KKH in protest against power closure
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By Khalid Khan
ALPURI, Oct 23: With power supply suspended to the entire Shangla for the 73rd day, the district nazim and other notables have warned to block the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period if the electricity was not restored in two days.
District Nazim Dr Ibadullah Khan said that they had mobilised the people and around 15,000 residents of the district would block the highway, connecting Pakistan to China, at five or six points.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top16.htm&date=20081024
Plan to block KKH in protest against power closure
By Khalid Khan
ALPURI, Oct 23: With power supply suspended to the entire Shangla for the 73rd day, the district nazim and other notables have warned to block the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period if the electricity was not restored in two days.
District Nazim Dr Ibadullah Khan said that they had mobilised the people and around 15,000 residents of the district would block the highway, connecting Pakistan to China, at five or six points.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said they had been waiting for the restoration of the electricity supply with patience but now their patience had run out as the government turned a blind eye to the problem.
Flanked by nazims of several tehsils and union councils and other notables, Dr Khan said that in the neighbouring Swat district a grid station had been repaired within 18 days, but the damaged pylon feeding Shangla could not be repaired even after the passage of 73 days.
The pylon was blown up by militants near Khwazakhela in Swat district in August.
“If any untoward incident occurred during our blockade of the highway the Pesco chief executive will be responsible for that,” said Dr Ibadullah Khan, who is brother of former federal minister and provincial president of PNL-Q Amir Muqam Khan.
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October 23, 2008 Thursday Shawwal 23, 1429
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15 troops killed in Swat ambush
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 22: Fifteen security personnel, five militants and two civilians were killed in fierce fighting in Swat valley on Wednesday.
The clashes erupted on Tuesday in Sarsenai area of Kabal tehsil after militants ambushed a convoy of trucks and armoured vehicles carrying ration and ammunition to Shah Dheri, sources said.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top3.htm&date=20081023
15 troops killed in Swat ambush
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 22: Fifteen security personnel, five militants and two civilians were killed in fierce fighting in Swat valley on Wednesday.
The clashes erupted on Tuesday in Sarsenai area of Kabal tehsil after militants ambushed a convoy of trucks and armoured vehicles carrying ration and ammunition to Shah Dheri, sources said.
They said the Taliban first set off roadside bombs and then attacked the convoy with rockets and heavy machine guns, inflicting heavy losses on security forces.
Official sources said five security men had been killed while independent sources and Taliban spokesman Musliam Khan said 15 members of security forces had been killed in the ambush.
A military spokesman in Swat, Col Nadeem, said security forces had killed five militants in a counter attack. He said five security personnel were killed and four military vehicles were destroyed by Taliban.
The spokesman said that security forces also killed a would-be suicide bomber, blowing up his vehicle.
The sources said that during the exchange of fire lasting several hours on Wednesday morning, 21 troops had gone missing. Fifteen bodies of soldiers were found at the site on Wednesday morning, they said, adding that six troops were still missing.
Swat District Police Officer Dilawar Bangash said that an ASI, Noor Zaman, and four paramilitary troops identified as Naib Subedar Hassan Faraz, Lance Naik Roban Khan and Sepoys Gul Wazir and Badiuzzaman had been killed.
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October 22, 2008 Wednesday Shawwal 22, 1429
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Paramilitary man killed in clashes with militants
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 21: A paramilitary man was killed and several others wounded in fierce encounters between militants and security forces in the Kabal tehsil on Tuesday.
Sources said two vehicles of the security forces were destroyed and a youth was killed in artillery shelling by the security personnel. Three others were injured in the shelling.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top15.htm&date=20081022
Paramilitary man killed in clashes with militants
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 21: A paramilitary man was killed and several others wounded in fierce encounters between militants and security forces in the Kabal tehsil on Tuesday.
Sources said two vehicles of the security forces were destroyed and a youth was killed in artillery shelling by the security personnel. Three others were injured in the shelling.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed responsibility for the attack and said two paramilitary men had been killed.
Military sources said militants had attacked a convoy of security personnel in the Sersenai area in which a soldier was injured. Two vehicles and two shops were also destroyed in the attack, they said.
Security forces later cordoned off the area and imposed an indefinite curfew.
Sources said fierce fighting was continuing till the filing of this report.
The troops fired mortar shells on the positions of militants and as a result a local youth --- identified as Bacha Rehman, son of Bakht Rehman --- was killed and three others were injured.
Meanwhile, more than 70,000 tins of cooking oil were destroyed after a warehouse of the World Food Programme caught fire in the Kanju area in Swat on Monday.
A mosque and a house were also damaged by the fire that engulfed the entire area on the Town Road.
Sources said the cooking oil was meant to be distributed among students to encourage female literacy under a WFP project.
They suspected that the warehouse was set on fire by militants. The fire brigade extinguished the fire after several hours of hectic efforts.
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October 20, 2008 Monday Shawwal 20, 1429
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22 civilians die in air strike on Swat village
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 19: Fighter jets bombed a village in Swat’s Matta tehsil on Sunday morning, killing at least 47 people, including 22 non-combatants and damaging a dozen houses.
Locals feared that the death toll might rise because most of the injured could not be taken to hospitals owing to curfew and a number of people were believed to have been trapped under the debris.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20081020
22 civilians die in air strike on Swat village
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 19: Fighter jets bombed a village in Swat’s Matta tehsil on Sunday morning, killing at least 47 people, including 22 non-combatants and damaging a dozen houses.
Locals feared that the death toll might rise because most of the injured could not be taken to hospitals owing to curfew and a number of people were believed to have been trapped under the debris.
The media information centre in Mingora claimed that 25 militants were killed in the air strike in Barthana and scores injured. It said security forces had also destroyed a guesthouse, or hujra, of commander Alamgir being used as a “den” by militants.
But eyewitnesses contradicted the official version alleging that residential compounds had been targeted in the area, some 60km northwest of Mingora and in the vicinity of Peuchar Valley, a stronghold of militants. They said that jets had made two sorties and dropped huge bombs, causing “massive destruction”.
“The bombing was so severe that it forced local people to start running for shelter, but curfew and closure of Venai bridge by security forces multiplied their agony,” said a journalist who visited the area.
Some local people said that the security forces has acted on suspicion that militants had been hiding in a mosque in Barthana.
The area has a population of 5,000 to 6,000. Many families had already migrated to safe places after the military operation.
Officials said that an explosive device had hit a military convoy in Sirsenai of Kabal tehsil on Sunday, killing one soldier.
Troops opened fire and killed three suspects, including the “operator” of the improvised explosive device. Forces exchanged gunfire with militants and conducted a search operation.
The sources said that a shell hit the house of Azizur Rehman, killing his daughter and wounding his wife and two sons. Curfew has been imposed in the area.
Suspected Bajaur positions shelled
KHAR: Security forces killed 11 militants and wounded eight others in air strikes they carried out in different areas of Bajaur on Saturday night and Sunday.
According to sources, jet fighters and helicopter gunships targeted suspected positions in Lowi Sam, Zoorband, Ser Lara, Enzerai and some other areas, while ground forces used artillery and mortars.
Officials claimed that militants had suffered heavy losses.
Security forces launched the operation in Bajaur on Aug 6. Despite heavy bombardment militants are still holding their positions. The sources said that security forces were yet to enter strongholds of militants.
They said militants clashed with security forces near Khar, the regional headquarters, on Saturday night. Troops came under attack in Sadiqabad, Kerala and Rashakai areas, but they fired back and repulsed the attackers.
The sources said two missiles fired from unknown places landed near a residential area in Sadiqabad. However, they did not cause any damage. A post of the Frontier Corps near Sadiqabad also came under attack.
Meanwhile, residents of Sadiqabad, Bilalabad, Rehmanabad and other localities near Khar have set up peace committees to conduct night patrolling from Sunday. Hundreds of volunteers have joined these committees.
The peace committees’ members have been authorised to target suspected persons after 9pm.—Correspondent
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October 18, 2008 Saturday Shawwal 18, 1429
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60 militants killed in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 17: Sixty militants were killed when air force planes bombed their hideouts in Gut Peuchar valley and adjoining areas of Swat on Friday.
A spokesman for the local media centre said the planes fired 15 to 20 missiles which hit a number of houses....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20081018
60 militants killed in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 17: Sixty militants were killed when air force planes bombed their hideouts in Gut Peuchar valley and adjoining areas of Swat on Friday.
A spokesman for the local media centre said the planes fired 15 to 20 missiles which hit a number of houses.
Meanwhile, an explosive device hit a convoy, injuring two security personnel. The convoy was going from Kanju to Kabal when the roadside device went off.
Troops cordoned off the area and carried out a search during which 55 suspected militants were arrested.
A girls’ school was blown up in Qambar valley, increasing the number of schools attacked by militants to 116.
Furniture, registers and other records of the Government Girls Middle School were destroyed in the blast.
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Chinese hostage escapes from Taliban kidnappers
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Oct 17: One of the two Chinese engineers held hostage about seven weeks ago has escaped from his Taliban kidnappers.
His compatriot was injured during the escape bid and recaptured....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20081018
Chinese hostage escapes from Taliban kidnappers
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Oct 17: One of the two Chinese engineers held hostage about seven weeks ago has escaped from his Taliban kidnappers.
His compatriot was injured during the escape bid and recaptured.
“We have shifted the engineer to Peshawar and have been looking after him,” said a provincial government official in Peshawar on Friday.
He said that he had been slightly injured in one foot, but otherwise he was in good health.
The two engineers, working for a cellphone company, had gone missing along with their driver and guard in late August when they were on a site in Khal area of Lower Dir district.
A few days later, the Tehrik-i-Taliban claimed to have kidnapped them.
The engineers escaped early on Friday morning from an area in Swat’s Matta tehsil considered to be a stronghold of the Taliban.
The official media cell confirmed that the escaped Chinese was with them and they had shifted him to a safe location.
Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said: “I have heard that one of the Chinese engineers has gone missing but our men have captured the second one.”
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October 17, 2008 Friday Shawwal 17, 1429
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Police station in Mingora hit by rockets, suicide blast: Four security personnel killed
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Oct 16: At least four security personnel were killed and 28 others wounded when a police station here came under a rocket attack, followed by a suicide bombing late on Wednesday night.
Swat district police chief Delawar Khan Bangash told newsmen that militants fired rockets on the station. A heavy exchange of gunfire followed but soon an explosive-laden coach was rammed into the rear wall of the city police station....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20081017
Police station in Mingora hit by rockets, suicide blast: Four security personnel killed
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Oct 16: At least four security personnel were killed and 28 others wounded when a police station here came under a rocket attack, followed by a suicide bombing late on Wednesday night.
Swat district police chief Delawar Khan Bangash told newsmen that militants fired rockets on the station. A heavy exchange of gunfire followed but soon an explosive-laden coach was rammed into the rear wall of the city police station.
“Most of the casualties were caused by the rocket attack,” Additional Inspector-General of Police (Investigation) Safwat Ghayyur told Dawn in Peshawar.
Frontier Constabulary personnel Mohammad Ijaz, Mujahid and Riaz and Assistant Sub-Inspector Naeem Khan were killed. At least 14 FC personnel and 12 policemen were injured. Two civilians also suffered injuries.
Police said over 200 shops, the Mingora press club, offices of some TV channels and newspapers, a school, two mosques and a number of hotels and houses were among dozens of buildings damaged by the explosion.
The building of the Swat tehsil municipal administration was also damaged.
The blast reduced the walls of the police station to rubble.
The injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Saidu Sharif.
The sound of the explosion was heard in a vast area and people came out of their homes in panic.
A suicide attack on the same police station in July had injured two FC men.
Meanwhile, security forces and helicopter gunships pounded suspected militant hideouts in Alam Ganj, Karram Dheri and suburbs of Khwazakhela, killing and injuring several people.
The forces claimed to have gained control of Gashkor and advanced to other areas.
Local people continued migrating to safe places.
According to the Swat media centre, the curfew in force in the region was relaxed on the Matta-Khwazakhela and Gashkor roads and in some other areas from 2pm to 5pm.
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October 14, 2008 Tuesday Shawwal 14, 1429
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25 militants killed in Swat clashes
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 13: Twenty-five militants and two soldiers were killed in fierce clashes on Monday, forcing people in upper Swat valley to leave their homes for safe areas.
Security forces resumed a search operation in Kashkor and Karam Dheri villages of Khwazakhela tehsil early in the morning, while a curfew remained in force for the second day.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20081014
25 militants killed in Swat clashes
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 13: Twenty-five militants and two soldiers were killed in fierce clashes on Monday, forcing people in upper Swat valley to leave their homes for safe areas.
Security forces resumed a search operation in Kashkor and Karam Dheri villages of Khwazakhela tehsil early in the morning, while a curfew remained in force for the second day.
The clashes erupted after an attack by militants on troops during a search operation.
According to ISPR, 25 militants loyal to hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah were killed and several others injured. Two soldiers were also killed. However, a Taliban spokesman said that only three militants had been killed.
According to sources, several houses were destroyed when helicopters pounded militants’ hideouts after the troops faced stiff resistance. A woman was killed when a mortar shell hit her house in Kashkor.
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October 13, 2008 Monday Shawwal 13, 1429
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15 militants killed in Bajaur
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By Anwarullah Khan
KHAR, Oct 12: At least 15 militants were killed in air raids and clashes with tribal volunteers in Bajaur Agency on Sunday.
Officials said four militants and two volunteers of a tribal lashkar of Charmang were killed in clashes and 11 suspected Taliban died in air attacks. Fifteen people were injured in the clashes and air attacks.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat2.htm&date=20081013
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October 12, 2008 Sunday Shawwal 12, 1429
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Three militants, soldier killed in Swat clash
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Oct 11: Three militants and a soldier were killed while four security personnel were injured on Saturday in an encounter at Barri, in the troubled Swat district.
An official of the media cell in Mingora told journalists that security forces clashed with militants at Barri, Kabal tehsil, during a search operation....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top16.htm&date=20081012
Three militants, soldier killed in Swat clash
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Oct 11: Three militants and a soldier were killed while four security personnel were injured on Saturday in an encounter at Barri, in the troubled Swat district.
An official of the media cell in Mingora told journalists that security forces clashed with militants at Barri, Kabal tehsil, during a search operation.
He said three militants, including commander Nasir and a nephew of Maulana Fazlullah, were killed in the exchange of fire. One soldier was killed and four security personnel were injured, he said.
The situation was tense in Mingora and nearby areas. Locals said police had disappeared and militants were patrolling the main city.
A roadside explosion in Kabal injured four security personnel.
Six civilians, including three women, were injured when helicopters targeted a house in Sher Palum area of Matta tehsil. Police said the wounded were taken to Saidu Sharif hospital.
Sources said that three police constables and one soldier were injured when a convoy of security forces proceeding towards Mam Dheri hit a roadside bomb. The explosion led to a heavy exchange of fire with militants.
Armed men kidnapped a Frontier Constabulary man from Kabal. He was identified as Raj Wali.
On Friday night, saboteurs blew up a power plant at Saidu Sharif airport.
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October 10, 2008 Friday Shawwal 10, 1429
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21 militants dead in Swat bombing
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 9: Twenty-one militants and five civilians were killed in bombing by jet fighters and mortar shelling in various areas of Swat on Thursday.
Sources said the PAF jet fighters bombed militants’ hideouts in Peuchar, Toro Bandai, Yago Bandai, Parang, May Sar, Saland and Landai Sar areas of Kabal tehsil, killing and injuring several militants loyal to hardliner cleric Maulana Fazlullah....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20081010
21 militants dead in Swat bombing
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 9: Twenty-one militants and five civilians were killed in bombing by jet fighters and mortar shelling in various areas of Swat on Thursday.
Sources said the PAF jet fighters bombed militants’ hideouts in Peuchar, Toro Bandai, Yago Bandai, Parang, May Sar, Saland and Landai Sar areas of Kabal tehsil, killing and injuring several militants loyal to hardliner cleric Maulana Fazlullah.
The command and control system, training camps and various compounds of militant commanders Omer Rehman alias Abu Obaida and Toor Mullah, which were being used by Maulana Fazlullah, were targeted and destroyed, the ISPR said.
The militants looted two trucks loaded with baby food (biscuits) sent by Unicef for undernourished children of Swat and Shangla, the ISPR said.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan rejected the ISPR statement, saying no Taliban was killed or injured in the bombing.
He said that four abandoned houses and a middle school were destroyed in the attacks.
Meanwhile, Hedayat Shah, principal secretary to Pakistan People’s Party MNA Sayed Allah Uddin, was killed by unknown people and his body was thrown into fields near Manglawar on Thursday.
The deceased, belonging to Charbagh area, was kidnapped by unidentified people on Wednesday.
The body was handed over to his relatives after post-mortem at the Saidu Sharif hospital.
The Khwazakhela police registered a case against unknown miscreants.
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October 09, 2008 Thursday Shawwal 9, 1429
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Fazlullah offers conditional amnesty
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 8: Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat chief Maulana Fazlullah has offered amnesty to all political leaders and government officials who will stop resistance to Taliban activities in the region.
In an address on his private FM radio from an unspecified place on Wednesday, the cleric warned that those legislators, politicians and other elements supporting the military operation in the region would be made “glaring example” for others......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top15.htm&date=20081009
Fazlullah offers conditional amnesty
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 8: Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat chief Maulana Fazlullah has offered amnesty to all political leaders and government officials who will stop resistance to Taliban activities in the region.
In an address on his private FM radio from an unspecified place on Wednesday, the cleric warned that those legislators, politicians and other elements supporting the military operation in the region would be made “glaring example” for others.
He said that people who had earlier taken part in the anti-Taliban drive by the government but now stopped opposing the Taliban movement were included in the general amnesty.
He asked Taliban fighters to deal the general public with humble.
Meanwhile, 23 militants, including key commanders, were arrested during an operation in Swat’s Guljabba area. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was seized.
However, an ISPR release said that 18 militants had been arrested.
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Makli necropolis to be resurveyed, boundaries demarcated
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By Bhagwandas
KARACHI, Oct 8: The land of the Makli necropolis will be resurveyed and its boundaries will be properly marked to keep encroachers at bay, an official told Dawn on Tuesday.
Archaeology Department Director-General Dr Fazaldad Kakar, who on Monday visited the Makli necropolis, one of the largest graveyards of the world, declared by Unesco as the World Heritage Site, said he was not satisfied with an earlier survey conducted by the revenue department and other officials.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local5.htm&date=20081009
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October 07, 2008 Tuesday Shawwal 7, 1429
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Owais approves Sharia regulation for Malakand
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By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR, Oct 6: NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani on Monday approved the summary of the proposed Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation for the troubled Malakand region.
The summary was sent to the governor by NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti. A high level meeting presided over by the chief minister few days ago had approved the draft of the proposed regulation after incorporating certain changes in the earlier draft......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local7.htm&date=20081007
PESHAWAR: Owais approves Sharia regulation for Malakand
By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR, Oct 6: NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani on Monday approved the summary of the proposed Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation for the troubled Malakand region.
The summary was sent to the governor by NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti. A high level meeting presided over by the chief minister few days ago had approved the draft of the proposed regulation after incorporating certain changes in the earlier draft.
The said summary would now be sent to the State and Frontier Region Division in Islamabad for approval of the President of Pakistan as in terms of Article 247 of the Constitution a law could only be introduced in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) by the governor with prior approval of the president.
Malakand region comprising seven districts -- Swat, Chitral, Buner, Shangla, Malakand, Lower and Upper Dir -- is part of the Pata and normal laws of the land could only be extended there by the governor with approval of the president. The proposed law would replace the existing Nizam-i-Adl (Sharia) Regulation, 1999.
The proposed regulation envisages that it would be applicable to Pata of NWFP except the tribal areas adjoining Mansehra district and former state of Amb.
The government has also decided to increase the number of judicial officers in Malakand region and assign them reasonable number of cases to provide speedy and cheap justice to the people. Around 100 judicial officers including four izafi zila qazi (additional district and sessions judge) and 96 ilaqa qazi (civil judges) would be appointed along with the ancillary staff.
The proposed law envisages appointment of a mauvin qazi (assistant to qazi) in each of the court and his role in assisting the court would be enhanced. He would have to give his findings in every case and his findings would be part of the judicial record.The mauvin would assist the court in arriving at a correct conclusion regarding the proper applications of Islamic laws in the relevant references from Holy Quran, Hadith-i-Nabvi and books of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Sharia of the recognised jurists.
Appeals originating from the judgments of the qazi would be decided within one month of its filing. Moreover, a circuit bench of the Peshawar High Court would be established at Malakand which would be called as the shariat bench.
The proposed law envisages that a criminal case has to be decided by a court within four months of its institution and a civil case within six months. Moreover, at a time only 150 cases should be assigned to each of the izafi zila qazi; and 200 cases should be assigned to each of the aala ilaqa qazi (senior civil judge cum judicial magistrate) and ilaqa qazi.
The qualification of a judicial officer to be posted in Pata includes that he may either possess LL.M (Sharia) degree or has completed Sharia course of at least four months duration from a recognised training institution including Shariah Academy of Federal Judicial Academy.
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October 06, 2008 Monday Shawwal 06, 1429
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Rocket fired by militants lands near Hoti’s house
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By Our Correspondent
MARDAN, Oct 5: Two rockets apparently fired by militants on Sunday night hit two houses, one of them near the residence of NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti.
The rockets damaged the houses but caused no casualty. Locals believed that the assailants might have targeted the chief minister’s ancestral residence where his father Azam Hoti, a former federal minister, lived....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20081006
Rocket fired by militants lands near Hoti’s house
By Our Correspondent
MARDAN, Oct 5: Two rockets apparently fired by militants on Sunday night hit two houses, one of them near the residence of NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti.
The rockets damaged the houses but caused no casualty. Locals believed that the assailants might have targeted the chief minister’s ancestral residence where his father Azam Hoti, a former federal minister, lived.
Police cordoned off the area after the attack. Tough security measures are already in place after a suicide bomber hit the hujra of Asfandyar Wali Khan in the adjacent Charssada district a couple of days ago.
A police officer of the Sheikh Maltoon police station told Dawn that the rockets had been fired from a deserted area near the Premier Sugar Mills in Shareefabad.
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Two militants killed in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 5: Two ‘important’ militants were killed during a clash with security forces in Sambat area of Matta tehsil on Sunday.
According to local people, a convoy came under attack in Sambat, about 25kms northwest of Mingora, after a roadside blast. Two security personnel were reportedly injured in the blast but security officials denied the report and claimed that two militant commanders, Ayub and Amir Zaib, had been killed in a heavy exchange of fire.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20081006
Two militants killed in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 5: Two ‘important’ militants were killed during a clash with security forces in Sambat area of Matta tehsil on Sunday.
According to local people, a convoy came under attack in Sambat, about 25kms northwest of Mingora, after a roadside blast. Two security personnel were reportedly injured in the blast but security officials denied the report and claimed that two militant commanders, Ayub and Amir Zaib, had been killed in a heavy exchange of fire.
A woman and another non-combatant were also killed. Another man was injured.
As the forces cordoned off the area, markets were closed and traffic was suspended.
The army media centre in Mingora said that an improvised explosive device went off prematurely and the troops did not suffer any casualty. Another device was defused.
According to the media centre, militants hiding in a compound opened fire on security personnel who attacked the building, killing the two militants.
Ayub was said to be affiliated with Al Qaeda and responsible for terrorist activities in Swat. The security forces demolished the compound.
Meanwhile, a checkpoint in Behrain was set on fire. It had been set up about a decade ago by local people to curb illegal cutting and smuggling of timber.
In Bara Banda, some people broke into a bank on Saturday night and took away an empty locker and two computers.
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Bomb threat at hotel in Islamabad
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: A hotel near Melody Market was evacuated after it received a bomb threat which created panic among the guests and its employees on Sunday night, police said.
Besides the hotel, shops in Melody Market were also gotten vacated......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat5.htm&date=20081006
Bomb threat at hotel in Islamabad
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: A hotel near Melody Market was evacuated after it received a bomb threat which created panic among the guests and its employees on Sunday night, police said.
Besides the hotel, shops in Melody Market were also gotten vacated.
The hotel administration received an anonymous call that a bomb had been planted in the building that would detonate shortly.
Shortly after the call was received at around 7:45pm, the police and bomb disposal experts reached the site, got the building vacated and started a search.
The parked vehicles were moved away from the building and the entire building was cordoned off by the police. Barbed wires were placed on the roads leading towards the hotel and traffic was diverted.
After a search, the bomb disposal experts found no explosive and declared it a hoax call.
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October 04, 2008 Saturday Shawwal 04, 1429
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Gen Kayani visits Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 3: Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Swat on Friday and met troops in the troubled region. An official said the army chief spent time with soldiers and praised their high morale.
He also visited the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar and inquired about the health of officers/junior commissioned officers and men injured during operations in Swat. Corps Commander of Peshawar Lt-Gen Muhammad Masood Aslam accompanied the army chief during the visit.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat9.htm&date=20081004
Gen Kayani visits Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Oct 3: Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Swat on Friday and met troops in the troubled region. An official said the army chief spent time with soldiers and praised their high morale.
He also visited the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar and inquired about the health of officers/junior commissioned officers and men injured during operations in Swat. Corps Commander of Peshawar Lt-Gen Muhammad Masood Aslam accompanied the army chief during the visit.
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Eid !!!:
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September 30, 2008 Tuesday Ramazan 29, 2008
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Taliban offer to release Chinese in exchange of 136 jailed militants
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 29: The Swat Taliban have offered to release two Chinese engineers in exchange for 136 jailed militants. They also declared a unilateral ceasefire till the third day of Eidul Fitr.
Speaking to journalists on phone from an unspecified place on Monday, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that the kidnapped engineers of a private Chinese cellular company were ‘safe’ in their custody.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat1.htm&date=20080930
Taliban offer to release Chinese in exchange of 136 jailed militants
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 29: The Swat Taliban have offered to release two Chinese engineers in exchange for 136 jailed militants. They also declared a unilateral ceasefire till the third day of Eidul Fitr.
Speaking to journalists on phone from an unspecified place on Monday, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that the kidnapped engineers of a private Chinese cellular company were ‘safe’ in their custody.
He said that the Chinese embassy had been assured that the engineers would be set free as soon as the government released 136 Taliban.
Muslim Khan said the Taliban had rejected the draft Shariah regulations because they were not in accordance with the injunctions of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.
The provincial government had presented a copy of the amended Nizam-i-Adl regulations to Mualana Sufi Mohammad, chief of Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi.
The spokesman said that Sufi Mohammad would take a decision on the draft regulations after a thorough debate by the central Shura of Tehrik Taliban’s Swat chapter on the second day of Eid.
He said the Taliban could not guarantee peace in the region if the Shariah laws were not implemented.
Muslim Khan said that although the Taliban had announced the ceasefire till the third day of Eid, they would retaliate if attacked by security forces.
Meanwhile, the National Bank branch in Matta Chowk was set ablaze late on Sunday night by robbers who looted gold worth over Rs56.5 million.
All records, furniture and valuables were reduced to ashes. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to reports from Siej Banr and Wenai, militants attacked positions of security forces but were repulsed.
Police and Frontier Corps personnel resumed patrolling in Mingora on Monday after five days and took positions at various points.
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September 29, 2008 Monday Ramazan 28, 1429
KARACHI, Sept 29: Newspapers will observe two days of holiday on account of Eidul Fitr, according to a press release issued by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society........
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Polish firm’s engineer kidnapped
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By Yaqoob Malik
ATTOCK, Sept 28: Gunmen kidnapped a Polish engineer after killing his security guard and two drivers near the Pind Sultani village of Jand tehsil in the NWFP on Sunday.
Police said engineer Peter Stanczak had arrived at the field camp of a national seismic survey company of Poland, about 20km from its main camp office in the jurisdiction of Basal police station, early in the morning.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20080929
Polish firm’s engineer kidnapped
By Yaqoob Malik
ATTOCK, Sept 28: Gunmen kidnapped a Polish engineer after killing his security guard and two drivers near the Pind Sultani village of Jand tehsil in the NWFP on Sunday.
Police said engineer Peter Stanczak had arrived at the field camp of a national seismic survey company of Poland, about 20km from its main camp office in the jurisdiction of Basal police station, early in the morning.
Sources said three to four gunmen attacked the engineer’s jeep and killed Frontier Constabulary guard Muhammad Saleem, driver Anayatullah and assistant driver Riaz. Later, they captured the engineer and escaped.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Attock District Police Officer Muhammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja, Regional Police Officer Nasir Khan Durrani and officials of other law-enforcement and intelligence agencies visited the camp of the Geofizvka Krakow oil company.
The bodies were taken to the tehsil headquarters hospital for post-mortem and later handed over to the company’s management.
Local people said that the engineer might have been taken to tribal areas near Kohat, about 25km from the camp.
Some officials said that the incident took place due to negligence of the company because its management did not follow security instructions.
Mr Durrani said it was strange that a foreign technician was sent to the field camp located in a deserted area early in the morning. The camp was without proper security arrangement.
Other police officials said that foreign companies conducting oil exploration and other activities in the district had been cautioned by the government a number of times to make proper security arrangements, particularly during their staff’s movement.
Mr Raja said that police were examining all aspects of the incident and trying to trace the outlaws.
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Bank refuses to accept women witnesses
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By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: Although a woman supervises Pakistan’s banking sector as the central bank governor, a premier commercial bank of the country, according to one of its senior officials, cannot accept women as witnesses in what a prominent lawyer and senator described on Sunday as a “gender-based discrimination” violating the Constitution and Islamic injunctions.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top8.htm&date=20080929
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September 28, 2008 Sunday Ramazan 27, 1429
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Militants kill two ANP men in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 27: Suspected militants on Saturday gunned down ANP’s local leader Mukhtar Ali Khan and associate Sardar Ali. The chief of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf’s Swat chapter, Fazal Hakeem, was seriously injured in the attack and was taken to Saidu Sharif district headquarter hospital.
The militants also blew up the homes of NWFP Minister for Science and Information Technology Ayub Khan Ashari and his brother, Tahir Khan, in Swat......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top3.htm&date=20080928
Militants kill two ANP men in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 27: Suspected militants on Saturday gunned down ANP’s local leader Mukhtar Ali Khan and associate Sardar Ali. The chief of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf’s Swat chapter, Fazal Hakeem, was seriously injured in the attack and was taken to Saidu Sharif district headquarter hospital.
The militants also blew up the homes of NWFP Minister for Science and Information Technology Ayub Khan Ashari and his brother, Tahir Khan, in Swat.
Mukhtar Ali, who headed the All Swat Transport Association, and Sardar Ali, President of All-Swat Rickshaw Association, and the PTI leader were attacked in Suhrat Khan Chowk minutes before Iftar.
The militants had earlier torched homes and a hujra of the ANP leader and his three brothers in Shakar Darra village and since then Mr Mukhtar was living in Mingora because of a threat to his life, but died in Saturday’s attack.
The militants blew up the homes of ANP’s provincial minister Ayub Khan Ashari and his elder brother Tahir Khan in Doshgram area of Matta tehsil.
According to residents of the area, the homes were planted with explosives, which exploded with a big bang, destroying the homes. They said the militants set the homes ablaze after destroying them.
The minister and his brother were safe as they had already moved to Peshawar.
All elected representatives of the area have abandoned their homes and moved to other places because of mounting insecurity. Some of them have even moved to Islamabad.
Security forces attacked upper areas of Matta, Kabal and Charbagh tehsils with mortar and cannon fire on Friday night. There were no casualties.
CURFEW LIFTED: The administration has lifted curfew in the entire Swat valley from Sept 27 till Eidul Fitr.
The administration asked people to “keep an eye on militants” in their areas and “inform nearby police stations in case any suspected activity is seen”.
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September 27, 2008 Saturday Ramazan 26, 1429
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Mortar shell kills woman, son in Mingora
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 26: A paramilitary soldier and two policemen were injured in separate attacks by militants while a woman and her son were killed when a mortar shell hit their house on Friday.
The local Taliban loyal to hardliner cleric Maulana Fazlullah attacked a checkpost in the Wenai area of the Matta tehsil, injuring one security personnel. The militants fled after security forces returned fire..........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local6.htm&date=20080927
MINGORA: Mortar shell kills woman, son in Mingora
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 26: A paramilitary soldier and two policemen were injured in separate attacks by militants while a woman and her son were killed when a mortar shell hit their house on Friday.
The local Taliban loyal to hardliner cleric Maulana Fazlullah attacked a checkpost in the Wenai area of the Matta tehsil, injuring one security personnel. The militants fled after security forces returned fire.
In the Barikot bazaar area, two policemen, Javed and Rahim, and another person were injured when a suspected militant hurled a grenade on them. The injured were taken to a hospital in Barikot.
The Ghaligay police registered a case against unidentified militants.
The woman, Bagh Haram, and her 20-year-old son Rahmat Ali Jan were killed when a mortar shell hit the house of one Faramosh in the Peya village. The house was destroyed.
In Seij Banr, four people were injured when a mortar shell fell on their house.
Curfew was relaxed in Swat from 7am to 1pm on Friday.
Security forces targeted suspected militants’ positions in Kabal, Matta and Madain areas on Thursday night. However, there was no report of casualties.
Meanwhile, a Pesco press release said a task force had been established to restore power supply to the volatile Swat district in three phases.
In the first phase, a 132KV line that supplied power to Khwazakhela, Madain, Shangla and adjoining areas was restored on Sept 24. Electricity supply to these areas had been suspended since Aug 26.
In the second phase, repair of a transformer of the damaged Mingora grid station was being carried out, the press release said, adding electricity to hospitals and tubewells would be provided in a few days.
In the third phase, the grid station would be reconstructed and power would be restored to all the affected areas.
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Civil disobedience feared in Swat
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By Ali Hazrat Bacha
PESHAWAR, Sept 26: The law and order situation in Swat has deteriorated to such an extent that common people are poised to start ‘civil disobedience’, some residents and police officials fear.
“The killing of women and children in different parts of the Swat valley has aggravated the situation and that is why the common people have started taking out protest processions, and staging demonstrations in a state of compulsion,” a source in the local police department told this correspondent on telephone...........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local7.htm&date=20080927
PESHAWAR: Civil disobedience feared in Swat
By Ali Hazrat Bacha
PESHAWAR, Sept 26: The law and order situation in Swat has deteriorated to such an extent that common people are poised to start ‘civil disobedience’, some residents and police officials fear.
“The killing of women and children in different parts of the Swat valley has aggravated the situation and that is why the common people have started taking out protest processions, and staging demonstrations in a state of compulsion,” a source in the local police department told this correspondent on telephone.
He said police personnel did not know as to how the situation could be controlled. Many policemen had submitted applications for premature retirement and dozens of others had abandoned their duties without any intimation to the concerned officials.
“During the past few days, thousands of people who marched on the roads and reached Nishaat Chowk in main Mingora city, clearly asked both the Taliban and security forces to leave the area and stop killing of innocent people,” the official said and added that torching of various banks, pelting police stations with stones, damaging government and private properties were live examples of the peoples’ emotions.
Some residents of Mingora, pleading anonymity, made a shocking disclosure that armed Taliban groups were seen roaming in Makan Bagh, Haji Baba road, and Navay Kaley, on the jurisdiction of Mingora police station, close to security checkposts.
They feared that if the government failed to overcome the crisis, people would be having the only option to take arms and start a ‘civil disobedience’ movement. They asked for immediate halt to the ongoing military operation. In their opinion, the military operation had so far proved fruitless as most of the Taliban commanders were neither arrested nor killed, saying that the Taliban had further increased their activities in the region.
It was reported that the participants of the recent processions were workers of different political and religio-political parties, who had come to the streets without any prominent leader of their parties. However, they reportedly turned violent after the police firing. The people of the region, residents said, were also very critical of their elected representatives’ role in the crisis, saying that they had shifted to safer places, leaving their workers at the mercy of the militants.
Residents said the provincial government was allegedly using delaying tactics to enforce Sharia in Malakand, which they believed was the sole solution to militancy. The people were expecting a better change with the military operation but it further multiplied their agonies. They suggested that security forces should avoid ‘indiscriminate firing’ on the population and strengthen the intelligence network to reach leading militants.
The people said that the clamping of prolonged curfews had paralysed the entire social and economical activities. The prices of food items had increased manifold, children were unable to go to schools and the residents were spending sleepless nights.
They said the business community, especially those dealing in fruit and vegetables, were the worst affected section that had paid millions of rupees to owners of the fruit orchards, but could not shift fruits to the markets due to the closure of roads.
Earlier, the locals were worried about the increasing militancy and weeping over the burning of schools, healthcare units, offices of various departments, but now they were very much concerned about their lives. After the killing of innocent people in different villages, people want to leave their localities for safer places as they see no hope for improvement in the situation.
The destruction of Amankot grid station and main gas supply line in Balagram, village link roads and checkposts has multiplied people’s problems. The power supply to half of the population in Swat and most of Shangla had already been suspended for the last over 25 days due to destruction of power towers in Charbagh, Dakorak, Topsin and other areas.
A resident of Khwazakhela said that the growing militancy had already rendered most of the people jobless and power suspension totally deprived them, particularly tailors, mechanics, wilders of their livelihood. “Rockets are landing in the residential colonies and innocent people, women and children are being killed, but no one knows whom to blame for the killings,” he added.
He said the protest processions taken by thousands of people from various villages showed that the common people were no more ready to see both military and Taliban in the valley. He said groups of people were forcefully entering houses of the people, disgraced the women and took away cash and jewellery “and if any one resists he is shot dead or kidnapped but no body knows as to who they were”.
“The common people are totally helpless before the masked men who suddenly appear, start looting and resort to firing if anyone offers resistance to them,” he said, adding that the militants were playing with lives of the people, they had started kidnapping the well-off people for ransom, saying that currently their main target was those families who had someone in the US or Europe. Many people, he said, had been kidnapped who were released on payment of ransom but they avoided talking to media or police as they had been warned to keep mum.
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September 25, 2008 Thursday Ramazan 24, 1429
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Two soldiers killed in Swat
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 24: Two soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in attacks by militants in different areas of the troubled Swat district on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Sources said that security men deployed at the Manglor mountain post in Charbagh had gone to a nearby spring to fetch water when they were hit by a bomb detonated by remote control.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20080925
Two soldiers killed in Swat
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 24: Two soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in attacks by militants in different areas of the troubled Swat district on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Sources said that security men deployed at the Manglor mountain post in Charbagh had gone to a nearby spring to fetch water when they were hit by a bomb detonated by remote control.
The dead were identified as Ebadullah and Asghar.
Another six personnel were injured when militants fired on their convoy near police lines in a suburb of Mingora.
The ISPR, however, said that one security man had been killed and another injured in the bomb attack and two had been injured by firing.
A primary school for girls was blown up on Tuesday night in the Koz Qalla area of Manglor. Explosives planted all over the school building went off in the middle of the night, the sources said.
A bank was set ablaze in Mingora’s Green Chowk on Tuesday night, bringing the number of bank branches burnt down in 24 hours to five.
A girls’ college had been blown up in Matta on Monday night.Meanwhile, the Swat media information cell said that the local peace committee apprised security officials of the problems faced by people in Gulkada. At the meeting Maj-Gen Nasir Janjua, who is in-charge of the operation Rah-i-Haq appealed to the people to help restore peace in the area.
The sources said a Wapda team had arrived from Peshawar to repair the grid station, while engineers of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines were working on an emergency basis to restore gas supply to Mingora.
Swat DCO Shoukat Ali Khan Yousafzai said that the supply of gas would be restored by Friday and electricity within four days.
The curfew imposed in Mingora on Tuesday was relaxed from 7 am to 7pm and all markets and educational institutions were open.
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Curator seeks action over Makli issue
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By M.Iqbal Khwaja
THATTA, Sept 24: While the Executive District Officer (Revenue) Thatta, Nasir Soomro, has denied any excavation activity by the former MPA Ghulam Qadir Palijo in the limits of Makli necropolis, the Curator of Makli hill monuments, Kazim Raza Zaidi, however, has sought the intervention of his seniors to help save Makli monuments from allaged destruction at the hands of the father of Sindh Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo.
In a letter addressed to Director Archaeology Hyderabad, he has sought intervention as well as help of Sindh and Thatta District Government to save the territorial limits of Makli necropolis being illegally occupied by the former MPA Mr Ghulam Qadir Palijo, father of the sitting provincial minister for Culture & Tourism Sassui Palijo...........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat27.htm&date=20080925
Curator seeks action over Makli issue
By M.Iqbal Khwaja
THATTA, Sept 24: While the Executive District Officer (Revenue) Thatta, Nasir Soomro, has denied any excavation activity by the former MPA Ghulam Qadir Palijo in the limits of Makli necropolis, the Curator of Makli hill monuments, Kazim Raza Zaidi, however, has sought the intervention of his seniors to help save Makli monuments from allaged destruction at the hands of the father of Sindh Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo.
In a letter addressed to Director Archaeology Hyderabad, he has sought intervention as well as help of Sindh and Thatta District Government to save the territorial limits of Makli necropolis being illegally occupied by the former MPA Mr Ghulam Qadir Palijo, father of the sitting provincial minister for Culture & Tourism Sassui Palijo.
Elaborating the importance of the Makli monumental necropolis, the curator maintained that Makli is one of the greatest Muslim Necropolis in the world which is also included in the list of world heritage with over half million graves and 37 monuments, spreading over an area of 912 acres. The necropolis, the curator said, is replete with history with 500 glorious years and protected under Antiquities Act 1975. Copies of the letter, also sent to DCO Thatta , District Nazim Thatta , DPO Thatta and other concerned officials, the Curator alleged that Mr Ghulam Qadir Palijo had widely penetrated into the protected site by excavating the earth with the help of heavy machinery.
An official version issued by the EDO Revenue Thatta, Nasir Soomro, based on the reports compiled by a two-member inquiry committee here on Wednesday, however, says that the Makli hill monuments fall within the jurisdiction of Deh Makli, while the lands of Ghulam Qadir Palijo existed in Deh Nareja, just at the juncture of the two dehs.
In yet another development, Aijaz Budhani advocate, has moved a constitutional petition in the High Court of Sindh in Karachi for the protection of historical sites at Makli .
District Nazim Syed Shafqat Shah Shirazi has asked the DCO and the DPO to help vacate the land allegedly occupied by former MPA Ghulam Qadir Palijo in the Makli necropolis.
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Digging comes to a halt
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Work has come to a standstill on the drain excavation through Makli necropolis after extraordinary public uproar over the issue.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat28.htm&date=20080925
Digging comes to a halt
Work has come to a standstill on the drain excavation through Makli necropolis after extraordinary public uproar over the issue.
This correspondent saw an excavator and dumpers sitting idle at the site when he visited the area on Wednesday.
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NWFP okays Sharia draft for Malakand
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By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR, Sept 24: A high-level meeting of the provincial government here on Wednesday approved the proposed Nizam-i-Adl (Shariah) Regulation, 2008, providing a timeframe for disposal of criminal and civil cases and appointment of a mauvin-i-qazi in each court in the Malakand region.
The meeting held under NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti resolved to introduce the new law at the earliest.........
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PESHAWAR: NWFP okays Sharia draft for Malakand
By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR, Sept 24: A high-level meeting of the provincial government here on Wednesday approved the proposed Nizam-i-Adl (Shariah) Regulation, 2008, providing a timeframe for disposal of criminal and civil cases and appointment of a mauvin-i-qazi in each court in the Malakand region.
The meeting held under NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti resolved to introduce the new law at the earliest.
The meeting decided that a jirga of public representatives from the Malakand region would be held in the Chief Minister’s House on Saturday wherein provincial Law Minister Barrister Arshid Abdullah would brief them about the proposed law.
The meeting was also attended by provincial government’s peace envoy Afrasiab Khattak, senior provincial ministers Bashir Ahmad Bilour and Rahimdad Khan, provincial ministers Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Arshad Abdullah, Humayun Khan, Wajid Ali Khan and former senator and ANP’s information secretary Zahid Khan. High-ranking officials of interior and law departments were also present.
“The government is trying its level best to implement the proposed regulation in the Malakand region by 27th of Ramazan,” provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told journalists after the meeting.
He said the meeting had finalised the draft of the propose law and a representative jirga would be invited to discuss the final draft before implementation.
Official sources said that after approval by the meeting, a summary for promulgation of the regulation was sent to the chief minister from where it would be dispatched to NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani. Following approval by the governor, the summary would be sent to the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, which would approve it after consultation with the federal law division.
Under Article 247 of the Constitution, only the governor of a province could promulgate a regulation in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas, including the Malakand region, with approval of the president.
The proposed law would replace the Shariah Nizam-i-Adl regulation, 1999, which was introduced during the provincial government of Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan.
A copy of the proposed regulation has been sent to Maulana Sufi Mohammad, chief of the proscribed Tehrik Nafaz-i-Sharia-i-Muhammadi.
A meeting of the TNSM’ shura was held on Wednesday in Lower Dir, which discussed the proposed law.
His son, Maulana Kifayat, told journalists after the meeting that they had certain reservations over the proposed law which would be announced by Maulana Sufi in a press conference in a day or two.
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September 23, 2008 Tuesday Ramazan 22, 1429
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Nine troops killed in suicide attack
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 22: Nine security personnel were killed and three others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a military checkpost in Madian town of Swat on Monday.
The checkpost is near the main grid station in the town, some 60 kilometres northeast of Mingora..........
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Nine troops killed in suicide attack
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 22: Nine security personnel were killed and three others injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a military checkpost in Madian town of Swat on Monday.
The checkpost is near the main grid station in the town, some 60 kilometres northeast of Mingora.
An official of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the attack and death of nine soldiers.
Meanwhile, a woman and two children were killed and two girls were injured when a mortar shell hit a house in the Allaabad locality on Monday.
Local people protested against the killing of civilians. They held a demonstration which was attended by hundreds of people. The protesters dispersed before reaching the Mingora town.
Sources said that the shell destroyed the house of Fazl Rabi. The dead and the wounded belonged to the same family. Fazl Rabi is at present in Saudi Arabia.
In another incident, militants blew up two houses and a guesthouse of PPP (Sherpao) leader and Union Council Nazim Sher Afzal Khan in Bara Bandi.
Local people said that militants were still active in the Kozabandai area of the troubled district. Security forces had earlier claimed to have flushed out militants from there.
However, residents said the militants had never left the area.
The media information centre in Swat claimed that forces were patrolling Kozabandai and helping displaced people in cooperation with a local jirga.
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September 22, 2008 Monday Ramazan 21, 1429
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Four of a family killed by mortar shell
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 21: Four members of a family were killed on Sunday when they tried to tamper with an unexploded mortar shell near here.
Sources said one Shaider Lala had found the shell in a nearby field a few days ago. It is reported that children were “playing” with the shell when it went off, killing the man and his three children..............
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Four of a family killed by mortar shell
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 21: Four members of a family were killed on Sunday when they tried to tamper with an unexploded mortar shell near here.
Sources said one Shaider Lala had found the shell in a nearby field a few days ago. It is reported that children were “playing” with the shell when it went off, killing the man and his three children.
In Kabal tehsil, military authorities said they would lift on Monday the curfew which was imposed 20 days ago.
Meanwhile, a grid station was blown up in Aman Kot near Mingora on Sunday, disrupting power supply to the entire Swat district.
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Grid station blown up
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 21: The whole Swat district plunged into darkness as the Aman Kot power grid station was blown up in the early hours of Sunday.
Sources said that unidentified miscreants entered the grid station in the vicinity of Mingora, the district headquarters, at 5am and held up the five to six staff members at gun point. They tied their hands with ropes and planted improvised explosive devices around the grid station. A watchman was injured in the incident...........
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MINGORA: Grid station blown up
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 21: The whole Swat district plunged into darkness as the Aman Kot power grid station was blown up in the early hours of Sunday.
Sources said that unidentified miscreants entered the grid station in the vicinity of Mingora, the district headquarters, at 5am and held up the five to six staff members at gun point. They tied their hands with ropes and planted improvised explosive devices around the grid station. A watchman was injured in the incident.
The injured watchman told the media that a group of armed masked men came to the grid station and tied all staff members with ropes. They blew up the grid station with remote control bombs. The district, except Barikot to Mingora, plunged into darkness as the main power supply line to upper Swat disconnected due to the explosion. Electricity supply to Kanju, Kabal, Deolai, Khwazakhela and Kalam had already been disrupted for the last 20 days.
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Jirga decides to raise armed force
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By Our Correspondent
UPPER DIR: Participants of a jirga in Upper Dir announced to form an armed tribal force of 20,000 strong men to maintain peace and combat militancy in the region. The jirga also decided to execute harbourers of militants publicly and razed their houses.
The jirga, held here on Sunday, was attended by more than 300 elders of Sultankhel and Paindakhel tribes. The decision was taken in the wake of September 18 incident in which villagers in Nihag Dara fought a gun battle with suspected suicide bombers...........
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UPPER DIR: Jirga decides to raise armed force
By Our Correspondent
UPPER DIR: Participants of a jirga in Upper Dir announced to form an armed tribal force of 20,000 strong men to maintain peace and combat militancy in the region. The jirga also decided to execute harbourers of militants publicly and razed their houses.
The jirga, held here on Sunday, was attended by more than 300 elders of Sultankhel and Paindakhel tribes. The decision was taken in the wake of September 18 incident in which villagers in Nihag Dara fought a gun battle with suspected suicide bombers.
The elders from the two main tribes of Upper Dir vowed that they would not allow any militant or criminal to use their soil for terrorist activities, saying those who were found harbouring and supporting militants in the district would be executed publicly besides razing their houses to ground.
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September 21, 2008 Sunday Ramazan 20, 1429
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Terror tears through capital
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By Raja Asghar, Irfan Raza, Muhammad Asghar and Munawer Azeem
ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: An explosive-laden truck rammed into the front gate of a premier hotel in a high-security zone of Islamabad on Saturday, setting off what police called the most devastating suicide attack in the capital that killed at least 40 people and wounded more than 250.
The attack outside the five-star Marriott Hotel — not far from key government buildings such as the parliament house, the presidency, the prime minister’s house and Pakistan Television headquarters — happened early in the evening shortly after Iftar and hours after President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a joint session of the two houses of parliament where he said Pakistan would not allow the use of its territory for terrorist activities.............
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Terror tears through capital
By Raja Asghar, Irfan Raza, Muhammad Asghar and Munawer Azeem
Suicide bomber blows up 1000kg explosives: At least 40 killed, over 250 injured: Fireball consumes Marriott: Zardari vows to eradicate terrorism
ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: An explosive-laden truck rammed into the front gate of a premier hotel in a high-security zone of Islamabad on Saturday, setting off what police called the most devastating suicide attack in the capital that killed at least 40 people and wounded more than 250.
The attack outside the five-star Marriott Hotel — not far from key government buildings such as the parliament house, the presidency, the prime minister’s house and Pakistan Television headquarters — happened early in the evening shortly after Iftar and hours after President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a joint session of the two houses of parliament where he said Pakistan would not allow the use of its territory for terrorist activities.
In an address to the nation after Saturday midnight, President Asif Ali Zardari vowed to “continue to fight terrorism and extremism”.
“The government will continue to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations and such dastardly acts cannot dent the government’s commitment to fight this menace,” Mr Zardari said.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani joined the president in condemning the massive attack.
The president and the prime minister have ordered authorities to conduct an inquiry into the blast and to submit a report within 12 hours.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman told reporters that “such cowardly acts cannot deter the government’s commitment to fight terrorism and extremism”.
There was no immediate report of any foreigner killed in the blast that set off fires, apparently due to gas leakages, in most of the five-floor hotel in Islamabad’s F-5 sector. But police and doctors said some foreigners were among the wounded taken to hospitals.
An Iftar dinner, also attended by President Zardari, was being held at the prime minister’s house at the time of the blast, which shook the whole of Islamabad, causing panic in markets and residential districts.
While rescue workers were busy tracing blast victims inside the burning hotel, some streets near the building looked like graveyards of destroyed cars.
Places as far away as 30kms from the hotel reverberated with the thunder of the explosion. Almost all the 290 rooms of the hotel, which was occupied by both local and foreign guests, were gutted.
Four foreigners — one American, two Saudis and one Filipino — were killed and seven — two Saudis, three Germans and two British nationals — were wounded.
According to earlier unofficial reports, over 40 people were killed mostly from those attending an Iftar party at the hotel’s Marquee Hall located on front side of the building.
The blast caused a huge crater, 20 feet deep and 40 feet wide, at the main entrance of the hotel where, according to some witnesses, a white mini-truck rammed into the steel barrier at 8.05pm.
Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah told reporters outside the hotel that it was a “unique blast”.
Rehman Malik, the adviser to the prime minister on interior, said preliminary investigations revealed that some 1000kgs of explosive material had been used in the blast. He put the death toll at 28 and the number of the injured at 50.
Mr Malik revealed the interior ministry had received intelligence that terrorists could strike the Parliament Building on the occasion of presidential address to the joint session of parliament.
“As a result of the report, security was already tightened in the federal capital and additional police and rangers were called into the city to foil designs of the terrorists.”
Outside the hotel, the blast destroyed over 150 cars parked within a radius of 500 feet, uprooted a number of trees and electricity poles, and damaged nearby buildings, including the Frontier House, the Evacuee Trust Building, and those housing the Federal Public Service Commission, Pakistan Television, and government residential buildings.
The timing of the blast was significant as it coincided with an Iftar dinner at the Prime Minister’s House only half a kilometre away.
Some witnesses said the driver of the mini-truck first fired three shots at security guards manning the checkpost of the hotel and then hit the steel barrier. The truck soon turned into a heap of twisted metal, splinters flying in all directions and landing at a good distance from the scene.
A mangled door was found deep inside the crater.
The authorities concerned have been ordered to conduct an inquiry into the bombing and submit a report within 12 hours.
A team comprising police and intelligence officials has been set up to carry out the inquiry.
Sadruddin Hashwani, the owner of the Marriott, told reporters outside the burning building that some 300 people were in the Marquee Hall attending an Iftar function, and about 1,000 guests were staying at the hotel.
Six hundred members of the staff were present in the building when tragedy struck.
Mr Hashwani said almost all the guests had been evacuated. But the Marquee Hall bore the brunt of the strike
Saudi Ambassador Alfawad Al Aseeri rushed to the scene after hearing reports that five employees of the Saudi Arabian Airlines were missing.
Four other employees were admitted to hospital after receiving injuries.
“I hope that the missing crew members are safe or they would have been shifted to some private hospitals for treatment,” he said.
According to some sources, a number of US marines who had put up at the Marriott sustained injuries. They were due to leave for Kabul on Sunday.
A law enforcement official said in all likelihood “personnel of a US security agency” were the attackers’ target.
Some police sources said two explosive-laden vehicles were used in the attack.
They said at first the attackers, riding in a car, opened fire on the security staff at the hotel gate to clear the way and later they blew up their vehicle. Seconds later, the explosive-laden truck hit the security cordon.
A senior police official said 1000kgs of explosive material had been used by the terrorists.
He said the two vehicles carrying explosive travelled through Khyaban-i-Margalla road and then hit the Marriot Hotel avoiding a red zone.
Well-equipped security officers from the US embassy were seen on the spot soon after the explosions. However, they left the scene shortly afterwards.
Those killed included two Frontier Constabulary (FC) officials, six private security guards standing at the hotel gate and a passer-by civilian woman. The injured included two British nationals, three Germans and two Saudis.
A Pims hospital spokesman said 25 dead bodies including two of the FC personnel, six security guards, and two other persons were brought in the hospital. Seven dead bodies were shifted to the Poly Clinic Hospital, two to the CDA hospital.
The hotel building was engulfed in flames, leaving its rooms, café and restaurant in ruined, while several people remained trapped inside their room for several hours due to fire that blocked the emergency exits.
Police said the blast occurred when a vehicle — believed to be a dumper approached the hotel gate and the suicide bomber exploded it when was stopped by the security personnel.
The blast left a 20feet deep and 35 feet in radius crater and destroyed the entire front of the hotel and also shattered down the window pans of nearby buildings. Street light poles and trees were uprooted and dozens of vehicles parked outside the hotel were damaged.The sound of the blast that was heard miles away sent a wave of panic and fear among the resident of the federal capital territory and Rawalpindi. More than 1500 guests, including foreigners were dining in the hotel when the terrorist attack occurred.Ambulances, fire engines and rescue teams rushed to the scene of the blast. The entire area was cordoned off by the security personnel. Later, the troops were called to help the local administration in pulling out the people trapped inside the hotels that was engulfed.
The Marriot Hotel has been popular among the foreigners visiting Islamabad and had been previously targeted by terrorists.
The attack came a few hours after the newly elected president Asif Ali Zardari made his first address to the joint session of the parliaments amid tight security.
The president said in his address that he would not allow Pakistan’s territory to use for terrorist activities.
The Marriot Hotel is located near government buildings, including President House, Parliament building, Prime Minister House, and right opposite to the Sindh House and judicial colony.
Strict security checks are carried out at the hotel gate. The scene of the blast was closed to the security check point.
Abdul Hameed, a police constable who was on duty close to the hotel had recorded his last few worded wireless massage saying as: “I tried to stop a dumper but it exploded at the gate.”
Some women and children staying in the 290 room-hotel went on rooftop of the hotel as the fire erupted. They were shouting for help.
Ikhlaq Ahmed, one of the hotel employees said he was in side the hotel when a small blast occurred, seconds later another explosive laden dumper appeared at the gate and exploded.
No militant group has claimed responsibility of the today’s terrorist attack on the hotel so far.
At least seven of the injured victims, including a female were shifted to Benazir Bhutto hospital Rawalpindi. Shortly after the explosion, emergency was declared in all the government run hospitals in Rawalpindi.
A red-alert was declared in Rawalpindi and night police patrol was also started.
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Battle to be won or lost in Bajaur
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By Ismail Khan
THE battle in the Bajaur Agency has not only become a tipping-point for Pakistan’s internal security, it can also have a deep impact on the country’s status as a key US ally in the war against terrorism. In the second week of August, the operation started haltingly to prevent what looked like the imminent fall of Bajaur’s regional headquarters, Khaar, to the militants.
Having suffered initial reversals, the operation is now on at full throttle. It has created a surrender-or-die situation for the militants and a now-or-never moment for the country’s security forces...........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080921
Battle to be won or lost in Bajaur
By Ismail Khan
THE battle in the Bajaur Agency has not only become a tipping-point for Pakistan’s internal security, it can also have a deep impact on the country’s status as a key US ally in the war against terrorism. In the second week of August, the operation started haltingly to prevent what looked like the imminent fall of Bajaur’s regional headquarters, Khaar, to the militants.
Having suffered initial reversals, the operation is now on at full throttle. It has created a surrender-or-die situation for the militants and a now-or-never moment for the country’s security forces.
Predictably, the militants are using everything they have to hold their ground. Government and security officials say that they are baffled by the resilience and stiff resistance offered by the battle-hardened fighters, by their tactics and the sophistication of their weapons and communications systems.
“They have good weaponry and a better communication system (than ours),” said a senior official. “Even the sniper rifles they use are better than some of ours. Their tactics are mind-boggling and they have defences that would take us days to build. It does not look as though we are fighting a rag-tag militia; they are fighting like an organised force.”
More worryingly, the Bajaur battleground has attracted militants from other tribal regions and from across the border, from Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province. It has long been known that there are foreign militants in Bajaur, but their numbers have always been thought to be small. Now, their ranks are swelling, catching by surprise many veterans in the civil-military establishment. This supply line from Kunar to Bajaur has, however, eased the pressure in Afghanistan. Western diplomatic sources acknowledge that the level of violence in Kunar has dropped appreciably since the launch of the operation in Bajaur, indicating a planning and operational linkage that overlaps the Durand Line.
Realising how crucial and critical the Bajaur operation is — and the massive impact it can have on restive neighbouring tribal regions — the army has lined up tremendous resources to make quick headway.
Concern for backlash
Government and security sources say that so far the operation is going well. However, there are concerns that rising numbers of civilian casualties in a lengthening conflict may cause public and political backlash, and undermine the national support needed to succeed in Bajaur. The Jamaat-i-Islami, for one — which has a strong political base in Bajaur and has had close ties with Gulbadin Hekmatyar’s Hizb-i-Islami (which operates in Kunar) — has already launched a campaign against the operation.
For now, government and security officials are staying put and are determined to take the battle to what they call “its logical conclusion”.
To gauge the seriousness of this operation a brigade of the Pakistan Army has, for perhaps the first time, been placed under the command of the recently-posted Inspector General of Frontier Corps, Maj-Gen Tariq Khan, to ensure the unity of command and effectiveness.
The security forces are relieved by much-needed words of praise from an otherwise sceptical and suspicious American administration regarding the action in Bajaur. On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Kabul that the US was “encouraged” by the security forces’ operation in Bajaur.
At home, meanwhile, important members of the political leadership have stopped expressing misgivings about the establishment’s intentions in terms of dealing with militancy; they acknowledge that this operation is for real.
“There is a change in their approach,” said a senior politician from the NWFP. “They seem serious. As to what caused this change of mind, we really have no idea.”
One view being expressed among political circles is that the gravity of the security threat to national integrity, crucial support from the current leadership and growing public mobilisation in Buner, Dir and Bajaur have together served as a shot in the arm for the military, enabling it to decisively take on the militants.
An additional fillip has been provided by the American administration’s upping of the ante. President George W. Bush’s July authorisation to permit operations in Pakistan’s tribal areas forced the army high command to come up with a strong reaction.
More importantly, the US commando raid in Angoor Adda made the top brass reiterate the commitment that they alone will take action on Pakistani soil, and Bajaur is the litmus test of this commitment. This has helped the government ‘own’ the operation as being driven by internal security concerns and has changed the perception that action was being taken under external pressure.
More aggressive approach
Bajaur, thus, may constitute the beginning of a more aggressive approach and strategy by Pakistan’s armed forces, backed equally by the political leadership.
The success of this approach may not only initiate the unravelling of the militants’ insurgency in the tribal region — though total elimination would take much longer and would require a host of other measures such as political, administrative and economic reforms — it may also restore to the state and its security forces much-needed credibility at home and abroad.
Equally crucial, however, would be the extent of the collateral damage, for that may tip the balance either way and cause the loss of local support to the government. Tribal support, therefore, would be of critical importance. The Salarzai and Utmankhel tribes have already risen against the militants, albeit for reasons of their own. But it would be the Mamonds, which constitute a stronghold of the militants, which could really tilt the balance in the government’s favour.
Analysts say that any failure, or the abandonment of the operation midway as occurred, for a variety of reasons, in South Waziristan, Darra Adamkhel and Swat, could potentially not only undermine the gains made so far in Bajaur, but could also cast a negative spell on the ongoing operations in Swat and elsewhere.
“Needless to say, such a situation would not only embolden the militants on the one hand, on the other it would give the cynics in Washington and Kabul an excuse to point to Pakistan’s lack of ability and political will to fight this war,” commented a seasoned observer.
Clearly, therefore, the Bajaur operation is being watched closely by policy-makers in the US, and may shape that country’s strategy vis-à-vis Pakistan and the tribal areas, Bush’s July authorisation notwithstanding.
The stakes are equally high for the militants in Bajaur which, after Waziristan, is perhaps the second most significant stronghold of the militants.
Militant leader Maulvi Faqir Muhammad is the deputy to Baitullah Mehsud’s Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan, whose fighters are not only waging a war against Pakistani security forces but are also involved actively in the ‘jihad’ in Afghanistan, particularly in the bordering eastern province of Kunar. Faqir Muhammad is known to wield a lot of influence over militants operating in Swat under Maulana Fazlullah, who draws strength and support in large measure from Bajaur.
Militants in the Mohmand tribal region would also be watching the operation in neighbouring Bajaur with a great deal of anxiety, since the triumphs and losses of their comrades in arms and ideology may also decide their own fate.
Having said this, however, much would depend on the strategy the government adopts in the post-operation scenario, to consolidate its grip over Bajaur in order to prevent the resurgence of the militants, and to introduce a rehabilitation package for hundreds of thousands of Bajauris.
Officials say that a one-time package of $7.2 million is ready for such an intervention, based mostly on commitments made by international donors. But the full success of the entire operation will also be determined by how quickly, efficiently and transparently this rehabilitation process is carried out and implemented.
Victory for either side may not be soon in the coming, but one thing is certain: it may largely determine the future course of events in Pakistan.
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September 20, 2008 Saturday Ramazan 19, 1429
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Jirga orders minor girl’s marriage to old man
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By Our Correspondent
SUKKUR, Sept 19: A jirga held in Khanpur Mahar on Friday came up with the verdict that a seven-year-old girl be married to a 50-year old man to resolve a dispute related to karo-kari allegations.
However, the family of the girl has refused to accept the verdict on the ground that she is too young to be married at this age...........
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Jirga orders minor girl’s marriage to old man
By Our Correspondent
SUKKUR, Sept 19: A jirga held in Khanpur Mahar on Friday came up with the verdict that a seven-year-old girl be married to a 50-year old man to resolve a dispute related to karo-kari allegations.
However, the family of the girl has refused to accept the verdict on the ground that she is too young to be married at this age.
According to sources, the jirga was held in Khanpur Mahar to resolve a one-year old karo-kari dispute between Chakar Shar of Khanpur Mahar and Yasin Shar of Khuharo Village near Ghotki. The jirga, after hearing both the parties, came to the conclusion that Chakar Shar had illicit affair with Subhan Khatoon wife of Yasin Shar. It slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 on Chakar and ordered him to marry his cousin Birbul Shar’s seven-year-old daughter Guddi to Nadoo Shar, 50, who is father of Yasin Shar. Chakar does not have a girl child.
Chakar Shar refused to accept the verdict, saying that, Guddi Shar was only 7 years old and they would not giver her in marriage to Nado Shar who is 50 year old.
Later, talking to the local journalists, Yar Mohammad Shar, brother of Guddi Shar, termed the decision of jirga as atrocious and said that the elder, who presided over the jirga, was pressuring them to accept the verdict, but they would never accept it.
One year ago, Yasin Shar declared his wife Subhan Khatoon kari with Chakar Shar and sent her to her parents and since then both the groups were daggers drawn over the issue and on Friday a jirga was held to resolve the issue.
CLASH: Two people were killed and two others injured in an armed clash between Chachar and Ghoto communities, following kidnapping of a young girl by the armed persons from Ghotki on Thursday.
Zarina, daughter of Ghulam Rasool Chachar, was kidnapped by the armed persons and the Chachar community men blamed Subhan Ghoto, resident of village Panjoo Bagh, of kidnapping the girl and attacked their houses. In the meantime, the DPO of Ghotki along with a police party reached on the spot and recovered the girl and shifted her to a safer place.
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September 19, 2008 Friday Ramazan 18, 1429
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Villagers kill two militants, foil bid to seize children
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By Syed Zahid Jan
UPPER DIR, Sept 18: Two militants were killed and one was captured in a shootout with local residents on Thursday after their attempt to hold 300 schoolchildren hostage was foiled in Nihag Darra area of upper Dir.
Police said the militants were going to Swat to join their comrades in Peuchar area when they confronted the villagers in Maskari area. The militants were asked to surrender, but they ran towards a government school.........
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Villagers kill two militants, foil bid to seize children
By Syed Zahid Jan
UPPER DIR, Sept 18: Two militants were killed and one was captured in a shootout with local residents on Thursday after their attempt to hold 300 schoolchildren hostage was foiled in Nihag Darra area of upper Dir.
Police said the militants were going to Swat to join their comrades in Peuchar area when they confronted the villagers in Maskari area. The militants were asked to surrender, but they ran towards a government school.
Announcements were made from mosques asking people to take up arms against the militants. Hundreds of armed people from 10 villages took part in the action.
Two militants, identified as Mohammad Ali and Gul Mohammad, were killed. Malang Jan, an Afghan national, was handed over to police.
However, there were conflicting reports about how the militants died.
Locals said two of the militants were suicide bombers who blew themselves up when their attempt to enter the school was foiled.
An eyewitness said that one of the three militants had reserved three seats for women in a vehicle in Wari. The driver was told that the women would get on board in Shahi Bagh, a village three kilometres from Wari.
However, instead of women three armed men got into the vehicle, triggering an exchange of harsh words between the driver and the militants.
“When other passengers intervened the militants ran away,” the witness said, adding that people asked them to surrender but they opened fire and tried to enter the school premises.
He said that local people returned fire and killed one of them while the one, besieged by the residents, blew himself up. One militant was arrested and the other escaped.
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Swat Taliban free eight policemen
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 18: The Swat Taliban released eight policemen on Thursday, more than 50 days after they were taken hostage.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told newsmen that the release of policemen and an earlier release of 25 Frontier Corps personnel, on Sept 15, was made in deference to Ramazan...........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top15.htm&date=20080919
Swat Taliban free eight policemen
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 18: The Swat Taliban released eight policemen on Thursday, more than 50 days after they were taken hostage.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told newsmen that the release of policemen and an earlier release of 25 Frontier Corps personnel, on Sept 15, was made in deference to Ramazan.
Another five policemen would also be freed soon, he added.
The Taliban had taken the police and FC personnel in custody on July 29 after surrounding a checkpost in Deolai area of Kabal tehsil.
The policemen, who were set free in Nihag Darra, Upper Dir, included ASI Zarab Gul, Mian Qasim Khan, Fazle Karim, Abdullah, Sayed Qayyum, Sher Alam, Deyar Khan and Ghani Gul.
Muslim Khan said the kidnapped Chinese engineers were safe, but any decision about their release had not been taken as yet. He said the Chinese embassy was constantly in touch with the Taliban.
Two soldiers shot dead
Dacoits shot dead two military personnel and injured another after looting them near Ayoub bridge in Swat valley on Thursday.
An ISPR statement said the security personnel were leaving for home to celebrate Eid when “miscreants” killed them. The dead were identified as Subedar Ashraf and sepoy Jehangir. The troops cordoned off the area.
In Madain, security forces killed a man after he violated the curfew.
Locals said Amer Khaliq, a mentally retarded man, had ignored repeated warnings to keep away while he was approaching a checkpost.
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Women rights groups seek independent probe: Burying alive of women in Balochistan
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By Sher Baz Khan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: Women rights groups from across the country here on Thursday demanded the government to launch an independent probe into the alleged burying alive of five women in Balochistan and asked for the resignation of a senator and some public servants who had tried to justify the act by terming it part of local culture and tradition.
Speaking at a press conference, which was preceded by day-long consultations and followed by a protest demonstration here in front of the camp office of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club, activists of a number of women rights organisations held the state responsible for the reoccurrence of crimes against women in the name of honour and tradition in various parts of the country.........
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Blasts damage police station
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By Faiz Muhammad
CHARSADDA, Sept 18: Two improvised explosive devices went off near Umerzai police station, damaging the building and shattering windowpanes of nearby houses in Charsadda in the small hours of Thursday, officials and residents said.
They said that the devices had been planted near the boundary wall of the police station, which exploded at the time of Sehri, damaging the office of Moharar and investigation officer. The building developed cracks but no casualty was reported, they added.............
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September 18, 2008 Thursday Ramazan 17, 1429
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Troops move into area vacated by militants
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 17: Security forces took control of Swat’s Kozabandai on Wednesday after the Taliban pulled out of the strategic area in accordance with a promise made to a peace jirga on Tuesday night.
ISPR spokesman in Swat Colonel Nadeem said the troops which took control of the area at 10am were engaged in de-mining tunnels, defusing explosive devices and repairing electricity and telephone lines........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080918
Troops move into area vacated by militants
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 17: Security forces took control of Swat’s Kozabandai on Wednesday after the Taliban pulled out of the strategic area in accordance with a promise made to a peace jirga on Tuesday night.
ISPR spokesman in Swat Colonel Nadeem said the troops which took control of the area at 10am were engaged in de-mining tunnels, defusing explosive devices and repairing electricity and telephone lines.
Sayed Inamur Rehman, chief of the Kanju peace jirga, said that because of sincere efforts of the jirga and cooperation of military officers and Taliban leaders “the impossible task has been made possible”.
He said the Taliban had left Kozabandai, a stronghold of militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah, on Tuesday night and security forces entered the area with the support of jirga members.
He termed it a positive development and expressed the hope that thousands of displaced people would return to their homes without any fear.
But Mr Rehman said that the agreement applied only to Kozabandai, and not to the rest of Swat.
He said the troops would also assess damage to property caused by the fighting.
Tehrik-i-Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan confirmed that the Taliban had vacated the area and expressed the hope that troops would also pull out soon after completing the assessment work.
The 40-member jirga included Prof Mian Noor Nawab, UC Nazim Karimul Hadi, Master Mohammad Amin and Advocate Peroz Shah.
The jirga earlier held several rounds of talks with the Taliban and military officers.
It had also called Maulana Fazlullah who assured the jirga of his full support for peace in the region.
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‘Jirga ordered killing of two women’
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By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Sept 17: The chief of the Umrani tribe, Sardar Fateh Ali Umrani, accused human rights organisations and the media on Wednesday of using a recent incident of honour killing in Baba Kot area of Nasirabad district to defame the Baloch people.
Talking to journalists on phone, Sardar Umrani said he had headed a jirga which ordered the killing of two women of his tribe on charges of ‘karo-kari’.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat8.htm&date=20080918
‘Jirga ordered killing of two women’
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Sept 17: The chief of the Umrani tribe, Sardar Fateh Ali Umrani, accused human rights organisations and the media on Wednesday of using a recent incident of honour killing in Baba Kot area of Nasirabad district to defame the Baloch people.
Talking to journalists on phone, Sardar Umrani said he had headed a jirga which ordered the killing of two women of his tribe on charges of ‘karo-kari’.
He said such incidents were also taking place in Punjab, Sindh and other parts of the country and “the campaign launched by the media and some human rights organisations amounts to defaming Baloch tribesmen”. He said the rights organisations wanted to dub Baloch tribesmen as illiterate and barbarian.
He denied reports that five women had been buried alive.
“An allegation of karo-kari was proved against the two women of our tribe in the jirga and they were killed in accordance with tribal traditions,” he said, adding that one of the women was married.
Both of them were shot dead by their relatives and buried in accordance with religious values, he said, adding that no other woman had been killed.
He said that Balochistan police chief’s statement and the autopsy report prepared by the police surgeon had belied claims that the women had been buried alive.
The police surgeon had confirmed that both the women had been buried in a two and a half feet deep ditch in their own clothes.
Responding to a question, he said people usually did not lodge reports of such cases with the police to avoid post-mortem of women.
He said holding jirgas on disputes was a tradition of Baloch tribes and charges against the women had been proven.
Police have arrested four people in the case.
Human rights and civil society organisations insist that five women were buried alive but police have found only two bodies in the area.
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September 17, 2008 Wednesday Ramazan 16, 1429
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Fazlullah’s men agree to vacate area
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 16: Taliban leaders in Swat have agreed to pull out of the Koza Bandai area and allow security forces to take control of the area on Wednesday morning, the chief of the Kanju peace jirga told Dawn on Tuesday night.
In return, he said, the security forces would withdraw from the area after demining tunnels, defusing explosive devices and restoring electricity and telephone services.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top6.htm&date=20080917
Fazlullah’s men agree to vacate area
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 16: Taliban leaders in Swat have agreed to pull out of the Koza Bandai area and allow security forces to take control of the area on Wednesday morning, the chief of the Kanju peace jirga told Dawn on Tuesday night.
In return, he said, the security forces would withdraw from the area after demining tunnels, defusing explosive devices and restoring electricity and telephone services.
Sayed Inamur Rehman, who is heading the jirga, said that peace talks were moving in the ‘right direction’.
Kozabandai, a stronghold of militants loyal to hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah, has been under troops’ siege for several days. Mr Rehman made it clear that the scope of negotiations was limited to Kozabandai. “People in other areas will have to devise their own plans to deal with the situation.”
Troops deployed in the area would assess the extent of damage in fighting between Taliban militants and security forces, he said.
He hoped that after the withdrawal of the Taliban and the security forces, about 15,000 displaced people, would be able to return to their homes.
The same jirga had earlier held several rounds of talks with both sides.
Maulana Fazlullah talked to jirga members on phone and assured them that efforts would be made to end violence.
The jirga included Prof Mian Noor Nawab, union council Nazim Karimul Hadi, Master Mohammad Amin and Advocate Peroz Shah.
Army officers had reportedly told the jirga that the Taliban would have to renounce militancy and leave Koza Bandai or surrender before the possibility of a ceasefire could be considered. Sources said that the militants had insisted that they would only leave the area if the troops also withdrew. The army had earlier rejected the demand and resumed attacks on Monday.
Meanwhile, three security personnel were killed and nine others were injured when a suicide bomber hit a post manned jointly by police and troops in Totano Bandai, about 40 kilometers northeast of here.
According to a handout issued by Inter Services Public Relations, the building hit by the blast had collapsed.
The death toll may rise because several of the injured are in critical condition.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that more than 20 security personnel had been killed in the attack. He claimed that the attacker had evaded stiff security arrangements.
He claimed that some militants, who were accompanying the suicide bomber, had fired several RPG-7 rounds, causing heavy casualties.
Over 43 security personnel, belonging to police, FC and Chitral Scouts, were living in the building in Kabal tehsil. Rescue workers are facing difficulties in shifting the injured to hospitals because the area is under militants’ control.
According to the military spokesman in Swat, militants had fired two rockets on the army base camp in Kabal on Monday night. The rockets landed in an open area and caused no casualties.
The security forces returned fire and the exchange of fire continued for one and a half hours.
The security forces continued their attacks on militants in Akhund Kalley and Kotlai areas on Tuesday.
Two people were killed and several others were injured when a mortar shell fell on a house in Kotlai.
Members of the jirga found bodies of four men who were said to be from Kozabandai. They had been killed in crossfire.
The authorities again imposed curfew in some areas of Swat.
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US official makes public demand for reforming ISI
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By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Sept 16: A proposal for reforming the ISI – now publicly articulated by a senior US official – was discussed thoroughly between Pakistani and American authorities during Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s visit to Washington in July.
CIA chief Michael V. Hayden had an exclusive meeting with the prime minister during his visit, presenting him with a “charge-sheet” on the spy agency’s alleged involvement in jihadi activities.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20080917
US official makes public demand for reforming ISI
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Sept 16: A proposal for reforming the ISI – now publicly articulated by a senior US official – was discussed thoroughly between Pakistani and American authorities during Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s visit to Washington in July.
CIA chief Michael V. Hayden had an exclusive meeting with the prime minister during his visit, presenting him with a “charge-sheet” on the spy agency’s alleged involvement in jihadi activities.
Later, in an interview to Washington Times, Mr Gilani said that CIA deputy director Stephen R. Kappes and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael G. Mullen visited Islamabad in mid-July with reports of some ISI officials’ alleged links with the militants.
And on Monday, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Richard Boucher said at a private luncheon in Washington that the controversial spy agency needed reform but there’s no indication this was happening.
“It has to be done,” said Mr Boucher in his speech at the Thomson Reuters Bureau. Asked if he had seen signs of reform, he told Reuters: “No, I don’t have anything in particular I would point to right now.”
Asked why the new Pakistani government was more likely to act than its predecessor, Mr Boucher replied: “It’s sad to say, but the problem has become more and more acute.”
Mr Boucher warned that “as long as you have organisations, or pieces of organisations, that work in different directions, then it’s harder for the government to accomplish the goal” of defeating terrorists based in the tribal region and elsewhere in Pakistan.
According to diplomatic sources here, the United Stats is trying to work out an arrangement with Pakistan for curtailing ISI’s power.
Under this new arrangement, the ISI wing which deals with internal security is to be transferred to the interior ministry and the agency is to be asked to reduce its role in the war on terror.
The US administration believes that this arrangement should be acceptable to the new civilian government in Islamabad as well because it can end the agency’s interference in Pakistan’s domestic politics and thus prevent future military takeovers.
Taking away the authority to deal with the militants, a power the ISI has enjoyed since the Afghan war, could help the United States meet its goal of severing the agency’s alleged links to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
When the proposal was first discussed with Pakistan’s civilian government, they were not sure they could accomplish this task. They felt that the civilians were still too weak to take on the ISI.
Mr Boucher’s decision to go public with a demand so far discussed privately between the two governments, however, is an attempt to tell the civilians that Washington expects them to act now.
It is also linked to Washington’s decision to increase the heat on the militants and is part of the same policy that has led to renewed US military actions against militant hideouts in Fata.
The Americans feel that while Pakistan’s civilian government may not have been strong enough to take on the ISI when the prime minister visited Washington in July, it is now. They believe that Asif Ali Zardari’s thumping victory in the presidential elections earlier this month has created a civilian set-up in Islamabad which has all the powers it needs to reform the ISI.
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September 15, 2008 Monday Ramazan 14, 1429
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Swat truce talks fail
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 14: Security forces pounded Koza Bandai area in Kabal tehsil with heavy artillery on Sunday night after indirect talks between the military and Taliban for a ceasefire broke down.
A peace committee held talks with Brig Aslam, Col Bilal, Col Dar and Maj Idress at the FC camp in Kanju......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080915
Swat truce talks fail
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 14: Security forces pounded Koza Bandai area in Kabal tehsil with heavy artillery on Sunday night after indirect talks between the military and Taliban for a ceasefire broke down.
A peace committee held talks with Brig Aslam, Col Bilal, Col Dar and Maj Idress at the FC camp in Kanju.
The jirga headed by Sayed Inamur Rehman had earlier met a Taliban team led by ‘commander’ Mehmood at an unspecified place. Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah talked to the jirga on phone and assured it of making all possible efforts to end violence in the area.
The 40-member jirga included Prof Mian Noor Nawab, union council Nazim Karimul Hadi, Master Mohammad Amin and Advocate Peroz Shah.
According to sources, the army officers said the Taliban should renounce militancy and leave Koza Bandai or surrender before a ceasefire could be enforced.
They said the officers made it clear that they would respond with full force to any attack by militants.
Local military spokesman Col Nadeem said there was no ceasefire although an assurance of a temporary truce had been given to the local peace jirga if the militants accepted the army’s terms and conditions.
The jirga apprised the officers of the talks held with Maulana Fazlullah.
The sources said that the militants had offered to leave the area if the troops also withdrew. The army rejected the demand for withdrawal and resumed attacks.
A spokesman said the action would continue till the area was cleared of the last militant.
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Lawmakers seek revision of Northern Areas ADP
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By A Correspondent
GILGIT, Sept 14: Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) has sought revision of the Annual Development Plan (ADP), a senior official said.
A 10-member NALA committee is in Islamabad to meet Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira in order to persuade him into authorising changes to the ADP, enabling lawmakers to identify projects worth Rs50 million instead of Rs15 million.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat10.htm&date=20080915
Lawmakers seek revision of Northern Areas ADP
By A Correspondent
GILGIT, Sept 14: Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) has sought revision of the Annual Development Plan (ADP), a senior official said.
A 10-member NALA committee is in Islamabad to meet Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira in order to persuade him into authorising changes to the ADP, enabling lawmakers to identify projects worth Rs50 million instead of Rs15 million.
Secretary Planning and Development Northern Areas Abdul Sattar on Saturday said NALA members were pressing hard to enhance the scope of Annual Development Plan.
Talking to Dawn, he said his department was capable of coming up with a crash development plan that would envisage futuristic and comprehensive planning.
Mr Sattar said previously there was a formula for the distribution of development funds under which 20 per cent amount was spent on initiation of new projects while remaining 80 per cent on completion of ongoing schemes.
However, the federal government changed this formula and set a 50:50 ratio.
The secretary was confident that the department would face no problem in case the federal minister, who is also the chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan, approved changes in the ADP.
He said the region had to pay Rs2.5 billion to those contractors who had accomplished uplift projects.
Mr Sattar said the allocation of development funds remained the same as the expenses increased.
He was of the view that authorities lacked reliable data on the basis of which effective planning could be done.
It is pertinent to mention that the Northern Area Legislative Assembly recently sought a review of the ADP as well as the budget.
Meanwhile, Mr Sattar said the Planning and Development Department had approved a proposal of the health department to equip the emergency ward of District Headquarters Hospital Gilgit with state-of-the-art equipment to treat heart patients.
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September 14, 2008 Sunday Ramazan 13, 1429
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Swat militants’ hideouts pounded
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 13: Seven suspected militants and an activist of the Awami National Party were killed and several other people injured as military operation in Koza, Bara and Ser Bandai continued on Saturday.
According to the Swat media centre, security forces backed by artillery and helicopters gunship pounded militant hideouts in Koza Bandai and Kotlai areas of tehsil Kabal.
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http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20080914
Swat militants’ hideouts pounded
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Sept 13: Seven suspected militants and an activist of the Awami National Party were killed and several other people injured as military operation in Koza, Bara and Ser Bandai continued on Saturday.
According to the Swat media centre, security forces backed by artillery and helicopters gunship pounded militant hideouts in Koza Bandai and Kotlai areas of tehsil Kabal.
Two security personnel sustained injuries, a statement issued by the media centre said.
Curfew remained imposed in the Kabal tehsil on the 11th consecutive day on Saturday. However, in other parts of the Swat district, it was relaxed from 7am to 7pm.
Security forces shelled suspected militant hideouts in Bara Bandai in Kabal tehsil and Ser Bandai in Matta tehsim. Several positions were destroyed in mortar, rockets and cannon shelling.
Residents of Koza Bandai said several houses were damaged in attacks. Two injured people in the area, Bakht Officer and Fazle Subhan, were taken to the district headquarters hospital Saidu Sharif. Hospital sources said security forces barged into the Saidu hospital and took away the injured, Bakht Officer.
In tehsil Matta, unidentified people shot dead Abdul Latif Khan a local leader of the Awami National Party.
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September 12, 2008 Friday Ramazan 11, 1429
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New attacks on Swat militants; 8 killed
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 11: At least eight militants were killed when security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, pounded suspected militant hideouts in Swat on Thursday.
Local ISPR spokesman Col Nadim said six militants were killed when helicopters shelled the house of a Taliban ‘commander’, Sher Ali, in Ningoli village of Kabal tehsil. Sher Ali and his two sons were injured and the house was razed to the ground..........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20080912
New attacks on Swat militants; 8 killed
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 11: At least eight militants were killed when security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, pounded suspected militant hideouts in Swat on Thursday.
Local ISPR spokesman Col Nadim said six militants were killed when helicopters shelled the house of a Taliban ‘commander’, Sher Ali, in Ningoli village of Kabal tehsil. Sher Ali and his two sons were injured and the house was razed to the ground.
Militants attacked a base camp of security forces in Sher Falam from the mountains of Shakardara in the morning. The security forces cordoned off the area and shot dead two militants during a search operation. The bodies were handed over to tribal elders.
Militants shot dead constable Dost Mohammad, a guard of Swat police chief, and his daughter in Bamakhela area of Matta tehsil. The constable was on leave when he was attacked outside his home.
Suspected militants blew up the abandoned houses and a hujra of late pro-government tribal elder Musa Khan and his brother Mohibullah in Ningoli.
Musa Khan, a former councillor, was killed by suspected militants a few days ago.
Cobra helicopters pounded suspected militant positions in Koza Bandai on Thursday.
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Victims rule out possibility of tribal feud: Attack on Dir mosque
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By Our Correspondent
TIMERGARA, Sept 11: The victims of grenade attack on a mosque in Miskene area have ruled out that the incident was result of any tribal feud.
Those who got injuries during the attack told Dawn at the Timergara Hospital that they were offering prayers when unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade inside the mosque.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local8.htm&date=20080912
TIMERGARA: Victims rule out possibility of tribal feud: Attack on Dir mosque
By Our Correspondent
TIMERGARA, Sept 11: The victims of grenade attack on a mosque in Miskene area have ruled out that the incident was result of any tribal feud.
Those who got injuries during the attack told Dawn at the Timergara Hospital that they were offering prayers when unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade inside the mosque.
“We have no enmity with any one and often people take revenge openly not secretly as we consider it against the local norms,” an injured man said. Those involved in attack were not Muslims, another man said, adding that Muslims could not even think to attack someone during prayers.
Meanwhile, the dead bodies were buried at the local graveyard and Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief Sirajul Haq led the funeral prayers. The hand-grenade had hit the rear ranks of the people where young people used to stand for prayers, therefore, the victims were below 30 years of age. Being a far-flung mountainous area, people faced trouble in taking the injured to hospitals, said relatives of the victims.
The injured had been admitted to the DHQ hospital Timergara. Those who died in the incident were identified as Araf Khan, Sajjadul Haq, Zaheer Ali, Wajid, Noor Mohammad and Salahuddin. The victims belonged to the Banai village. Three of the injured were referred to Peshawar as their condition was critical, sources in the hospital said.
The district coordination officer (DCO) Lower Dir told this scribe that the attack on the mosque could be an act of terrorism or the result of tribal feud.
DCO Ghulam Mohammad visited the mosque while District Police Officer (DPO) Syed Fida Hassan, DSP Jehangir Khan and DSP Mohammad Saeed accompanied him on the occasion.
The DPO clarified reports about the casualties in the incident saying that six people lost their lives in the attack while 32 others had been injured. The DCO and DPO assured people of the area that the culprits would soon be brought before the law. However, they urged locals to extend their cooperation to the police in this regard. “No stone would be left unturned to find out those involved in the tragic and bloody incident,” said the DPO.
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September 11, 2008 Thursday Ramazan 10, 1429
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12 killed in attack on Taraveeh prayers
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By Haleem Asad
TIMERGARA, Sept 10: At least 12 people were killed and 20 were injured when suspected militants hurled hand-grenades and fired on people offering Taraveeh prayers in a mosque in the Miskene area on Wednesday night, police said.
Official sources said that the death toll could rise. The village of Benai where the carnage took place is near the Afghan border........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080911
12 killed in attack on Taraveeh prayers
By Haleem Asad
TIMERGARA, Sept 10: At least 12 people were killed and 20 were injured when suspected militants hurled hand-grenades and fired on people offering Taraveeh prayers in a mosque in the Miskene area on Wednesday night, police said.
Official sources said that the death toll could rise. The village of Benai where the carnage took place is near the Afghan border.
(“Militants surrounded the mosque, threw grenades and then started indiscriminate firing, killing 20 people and wounding 30 others,” police officer Naveed Khan told AFP.)
People are facing problems in taking the injured to hospitals because the terrain is rough and difficult.
“We are facing problem in communicating with police in the area. According to information gathered by us from other sources at least 12 people have been killed,” said Syed Fida Hassan, the district Police Officer of Lower Dir.
He said there was a possibility of the presence of militants in the area, being close to the border, but nothing could be said with certainty about the elements involved in the attack.
The SHO of Samarbagh police station told Dawn he had heard from local people that 15 people had been killed and 20 others were wounded. He claimed that the miscreants first tossed hand-grenades and then started firing indiscriminately.
Some of the injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Timergara and tehsil hospital in Samarbagh.
“We were offering Taraveeh when these people hurled explosives into the mosque causing a series of explosions,” said a local man. The mosque was full and there were children as well.
Miskene is about 45km north of the Lower Dir district in Samarbagh tehsil close to Bajaur Agency.
In some parts of Lower Dir, local people recently rose against militants and asked them to leave the area. However, there was no such movement against militants in Miskene.
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11 ‘militants’ killed in Swat attacks
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By Hameedulah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 10: Security forces continued to target suspected militant hideouts in Swat on Wednesday, leaving 11 people dead and several others wounded.
According to sources, jet fighters bombed militant positions in Koza Bandai. Several houses were destroyed in the shelling..........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top17.htm&date=20080911
11 ‘militants’ killed in Swat attacks
By Hameedulah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 10: Security forces continued to target suspected militant hideouts in Swat on Wednesday, leaving 11 people dead and several others wounded.
According to sources, jet fighters bombed militant positions in Koza Bandai. Several houses were destroyed in the shelling.
They said two fighters made several sorties at low altitude over Kabal and dropped three bombs. Columns of fire and smoke were seen rising from three places after the bombing, they added.
A military spokesman, however, denied that jets had pounded the area, saying the jets only conducted reconnaissance flights in upper Swat.
Col Nadeem Anwar said 11 militants were killed and seven others injured by artillery fire and shelling in Koza Bandai. A search operation had been launched in the area on the insistence of the local people and it would continue till goals were achieved, he said, adding that pressure tactics would be used to force militants into surrender.
The sources said security forces pounded militant positions in different localities of Koza Bandai late on Tuesday night.
One of the shells hit a gas cylinder in a shop of a local leader of the Shabab-i-Milli, destroying the shop and adjacent houses. However, no casualty was reported because villagers had abandoned the houses several days ago.
No end is in sight to exodus from the volatile Kabal tehsil, particularly Koza Bandai and Bara Bandas, despite an unrelenting curfew.
Swat’s DCO Shaukat Ali Yousafzai told newsmen that relief camps had been set up in 12 schools of Mingora.An ISPR spokesman said curfew was relaxed across the district, except Kabal and Ayub Bridge area, from 7am to 7pm.
According to the sources, security personnel killed two people, Sajjad and Nasir, and injured one, Anwar, for violating curfew in the Mingora bazaar late on Tuesday night.
The locals have been clamouring for a long curfew relaxation during Ramazan and a ban on firing in the air by security agencies.
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September 10, 2008 Wednesday Ramazan 09, 1429
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Militants kill five in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 9: Five people, including a politician’s relative, were killed in targeted attacks in Swat on Tuesday.
According to sources, mass exodus from upper Swat showed no sign of ending amid clashes between security forces and militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20080910
Militants kill five in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 9: Five people, including a politician’s relative, were killed in targeted attacks in Swat on Tuesday.
According to sources, mass exodus from upper Swat showed no sign of ending amid clashes between security forces and militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah.
They said militants killed Mohammad Arif, nephew of the Swat chapter president of the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao), Sher Shah Khan, and his three guards when they were inspecting crops in Koza Banda, in Kabal tehsil.
Unidentified miscreants had torched four vacant houses and a cell of Sher Shah Khan and his brothers about a week ago. The villagers had vacated the houses for fear of militants’ reprisal.
In another incident, militants shot dead Sayed Rahat Ali, a close relative of Advocate Sayed Zahir Shah. Rahat was going to Mingora with a friend when militants intercepted them near Khwazakhela Chowk.
Sources said that it was an incident of target killing because the people of Shakardarra, led by Zahir Shah, had declared war against local Taliban. They had imposed a ban on the entry of the Taliban into their areas.
The people of Koza Bandai, Bara Bandai and other surrounding areas have vacated their houses and moved to safe places in the district. Most of the prominent families in Swat have already left the city and shifted to Mardan, Peshawar or Islamabad.
Meanwhile, two people were killed and two others sustained injuries when two groups within the Gujar tribe clashed over some petty issues in the Mandal Daag area.
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September 09, 2008 Tuesday Ramazan 8, 1429
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Teenage ‘suicide bomber’ held in Nowshera
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By Our Correspondent
NOWSHERA, Sept 8: Security personnel arrested on Monday a teenage boy they claimed was on a suicide mission and defused his explosives-lined vest. The boy was near a church in the Cantonment area when he was apprehended.
Officials said that 14-year-old boy, Mir Janan, was from Makeen area of South Waziristan......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080909
Teenage ‘suicide bomber’ held in Nowshera
By Our Correspondent
NOWSHERA, Sept 8: Security personnel arrested on Monday a teenage boy they claimed was on a suicide mission and defused his explosives-lined vest. The boy was near a church in the Cantonment area when he was apprehended.
Officials said that 14-year-old boy, Mir Janan, was from Makeen area of South Waziristan.
During interrogation, the boy is said to have claimed that he belonged to Baitullah Mehsud’s Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
According to officials, he said that he had been brought to the area by a man on a motorbike.
The Inter Service Public Relations said the bomber was about 17 to 18 years old and his target was a security convoy.
He was spotted by two junior cmmissioned officers, Subedar Mohammad Naeem Akhtar and Naib Subedar Mohammad Rafique, who got hold of him.
The ISPR said that the boy was wearing a suicide vest packed with 10 to 15 kilogrammes of explosives. The vest was defused by bomb disposal personnel.
It is learnt that the boy also carried a hand-grenade and he tried to use it by removing its safety pin, but he was prevented from doing so.
Later, bomb disposal personnel had tactfully persuaded the bomber to take off the vest.
Security agencies are on the lookout for accomplices of the young terrorist.
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10 killed in shelling of militants’ hideout
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 8: Ten suspected militants were killed and several others wounded as security forces continued targeting militant hideouts in Swat valley on Monday.
Military spokesman in Swat Colonel Nadeem Anwar said the security forces pounded suspected militant positions with artillery and mortar shells on Sunday night and Monday in Koza and Bara Banda areas of tehsil Kabal.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local6.htm&date=20080909
MINGORA: 10 killed in shelling of militants’ hideout
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 8: Ten suspected militants were killed and several others wounded as security forces continued targeting militant hideouts in Swat valley on Monday.
Military spokesman in Swat Colonel Nadeem Anwar said the security forces pounded suspected militant positions with artillery and mortar shells on Sunday night and Monday in Koza and Bara Banda areas of tehsil Kabal.
He said ten miscreants were killed and several others sustained injuries when one of the cannon shell hit a hideout where they (militants) had gathered to devise war strategy against security forces, adding that the final toll might be higher.
“There were no military casualties,” the spokesman said, adding gunbattle between security forces and militants loyal to Maulana Fazlullah erupted when militants attacked golf course ground in Kabal tehsil with hand grenades late on Sunday and continued till Monday.
The Taliban spokesman, Muslim Khan, however claimed that three security personnel were killed and many others injured in the clashes. He denied killing of any Taliban fighters.
He told newsmen from an undisclosed location that Taliban had set free fourteen villagers arrested during fighting in Mandal Daag area, adding the Taliban had sorted out the controversy with the local people and now they (villagers) were on their side after successful negotiations.
Meanwhile, the local people spotted two drones flying over different areas of Swat district, creating panic among the dwellers.
Indefinite curfew continued in Kabal tehsil. However, it was relaxed from 8am to 7pm in rest of the district. The people also left Barabanda and adjoining areas for safer places in the district.
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September 06, 2008 Saturday Ramazan 05, 1429
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Dialogue urged in tribal areas, Swat
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By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: Members of the Senate urged the government on Friday to resume dialogue with militants in the tribal region and extremist elements in Swat, saying that use of force had never solved a problem.
Continuing the debate on an adjournment motion, they expressed astonishment over air strikes in Bajaur and Swat after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s return from Washington, recalling that leaders of the ruling coalition had decided to give negotiations precedence over use of force..........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat5.htm&date=20080906
Dialogue urged in tribal areas, Swat
By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: Members of the Senate urged the government on Friday to resume dialogue with militants in the tribal region and extremist elements in Swat, saying that use of force had never solved a problem.
Continuing the debate on an adjournment motion, they expressed astonishment over air strikes in Bajaur and Swat after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s return from Washington, recalling that leaders of the ruling coalition had decided to give negotiations precedence over use of force.
Prof Khurshid Ahmed, of Jamaat-i-Islami, rejected the government’s policy on the war against terrorism and said use of force was not a solution.
He underlined the need for taking parliament on board in formulating a policy on extremism and terrorism, stressing that the two should be treated separately. He said the issues had been mixed up by the West to brand Muslims as radicals and extremists.
“What we need is to define who is a terrorist and punish him by fulfilling the legal requirements rather than waging a war.”
He said surveys conducted in the United States and Pakistan showed that the people had rejected the war being waged in the name of terrorism.
The Jamaat leader said that while Pakistan had deployed about 120,000 troops along the Afghan border, there were no more than 34,000 soldiers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on the other side.
He said only two dozen US soldiers had been killed in the region while more than 1,000 Pakistani security personnel had laid down their lives since 2001.
Senator Azam Swati of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) said no parliament in the country’s history had been allowed to function as a sovereign body and formulate a national security strategy in accordance with the aspirations of the people.
He said US policies were aimed at changing the map of Pakistan and grabbing natural resources of the region.
He said national security and integrity could be in danger if the government failed to resolve domestic disputes on a war footing.
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Action against ‘killers of women’ sought
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By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Sept 5: Speakers at a seminar held here on Friday condemned the recent killing of some women in Nasirabad and demanded stern action against tribal elders involved in the crime.
Addressing the seminar organized by the Balochistan Civil Society Forum, intellectuals and rights activists severely criticised some members of parliament from Balochistan who were defending the brutal killing and said such unacceptable ‘customs’ must be scrapped..........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat7.htm&date=20080906
Action against ‘killers of women’ sought
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Sept 5: Speakers at a seminar held here on Friday condemned the recent killing of some women in Nasirabad and demanded stern action against tribal elders involved in the crime.
Addressing the seminar organized by the Balochistan Civil Society Forum, intellectuals and rights activists severely criticised some members of parliament from Balochistan who were defending the brutal killing and said such unacceptable ‘customs’ must be scrapped.
They also demanded that the legislators who had defended the brutality should be stripped of their representative status.
They stressed the need for bringing about a change in the attitude of the people and action to stop such incidents.
They expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation that had been conducted so far and demanded that facts related to the killing should be unearthed.
They criticized police and other government institutions for their inaction in such cases. They said the government had failed to provide security to citizens, particularly the vulnerable.
Prominent writer Saima Gul, Maulana Mateen, Shahzada Zulfiqar, Baseer Daavi, Prof Rakhshanda Aurangzeb and other rights activists addressed the seminar.
Later, a large number of women and human rights activists marched from the Balochistan Boy Scouts headquarters to the provincial assembly. They were led by Pakistan People’s Party’s leader Surriya Amiruddin and Rukhsana Ahmed Ali.
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Nine killed as locals take up arms against Taliban
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MINGORA, Sept 5: Six militants and three locals were killed when fierce clashes erupted in Swat on Friday.
The militants and locals were killed in exchange of fire between the Taliban and dwellers of Mandal Daag area of tehsil Matta...........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local5.htm&date=20080906
MINGORA: Nine killed as locals take up arms against Taliban
MINGORA, Sept 5: Six militants and three locals were killed when fierce clashes erupted in Swat on Friday.
The militants and locals were killed in exchange of fire between the Taliban and dwellers of Mandal Daag area of tehsil Matta.
The clashes started when the Taliban raided the residence of a local spiritual leader Pir Samiullah and tried to take him away along with them. However, hundreds of locals took weapons against the militants to rescue their leader.
Several people were injured during the clashes. Both sides fired at each other’s positions with heavy weapons. A double cabin Taliban vehicle with arms was set on fire by furious mobs.
The Taliban made 15 locals hostages and shifted them to undisclosed location.
A large number of people from the far-flung areas came to Mandal Daag for spiritual healing everyday at the residence of Pir Samiullah. The Taliban were opposed to the Pir and his spiritual healing, and had asked him to wind up his ‘business’ from the area.
Security forces, in support of the local people, fired at the militant hideouts from Kabal, FC camp Kanju and Saidu Sharif using mortar shells. However, there was no report of any casualty.
The Mandal Daag area is a stronghold of pro-militant radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed from 8am to 8pm on Friday in Mingora and areas along the GT road while indefinite curfew was imposed in rest of the district.
The people of the area expressed concern over the prolonged curfew.
They said pitch crops had been ripe at their orchards and if they were not lifted within few days, they would suffer huge financial losses.
Farmers appealed to the government to arrange alternative way so that they could transport fruits to the markets to earn their livelihood.—Correspondent
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September 05, 2008 Friday Ramazan 04, 1429
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17 militants, 9 civilians killed in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 4: Seventeen militants were killed when security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, pounded militants’ hideouts in Koza Bandai area of Swat’s Kabal tehsil on Thursday. Nine civilians were also killed.
An ISPR press release said that three key Taliban commanders — Mohammad Younis, Saifur Rehman and Ziaur Rehman — were among the dead. Military spokesman in Swat Major Nasir Ali said that
47 militants had been killed in two days of operation in the area........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20080905
17 militants, 9 civilians killed in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 4: Seventeen militants were killed when security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, pounded militants’ hideouts in Koza Bandai area of Swat’s Kabal tehsil on Thursday. Nine civilians were also killed.
An ISPR press release said that three key Taliban commanders — Mohammad Younis, Saifur Rehman and Ziaur Rehman — were among the dead. Military spokesman in Swat Major Nasir Ali said that
47 militants had been killed in two days of operation in the area.
Troops have taken control of the area and are advancing to other places in the troubled valley.Local people said nine civilians, four children and a woman among them, were killed and several others injured when mortar shells hit their houses.
An employee of a construction company was killed in Koza Bandai and two people in Mangulpam.
Helicopters dropped pamphlets in the morning asking people to vacate the area by noon to avoid collateral damage. About 3,000 families left their homes and moved to Bara Bandai, Dheri and Kanju.
People faced hardship in taking the injured to hospitals because of the curfew in force in the area. A large number of people were stuck on roads and many others were stopped at checkposts.
The ISPR release said that security forces had entered a decisive phase in the operation and expressed the hope that the remaining pockets of resistance would be cleared soon.
“We request the people of Swat to exercise patience and cooperate with the security forces to root out the menace of militancy and terrorism from the valley,” it added.
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Fata legislators decide to ditch PPP
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By Bakhtawar Mian
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentarians from tribal areas have decided not to support PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election in protest against continuing military action in their region.
All senators and MNAs from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, except those belonging to the JUI-F, decided at a meeting on Thursday not to vote for Mr Zardari in protest against the government’s failure to accept their demand for halting the military operation.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top7.htm&date=20080905
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Woman, 3 children killed in flashflood
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By Nisar Ahmad Khan
MANSEHRA, Sept 4: A mother with her three children died as floodwater destroyed about three dozen houses, shelters and tents of displaced families at a makeshift village in Balakot on Thursday.
Rain started after Iftar on Tuesday and continued intermittently till Thursday morning as a result the floodwater from a nearby nullah entered the houses, shelters and tents of the residents, who had been shifted to the village after the earthquake, which devastated the region three years back.Salikha Bibi, her four-year-old daughter Saira, two sons: 12-year-old Zakir and seven-year-old Owais died on the spot while Waliur Rehman, head of the family, and his son Babar sustained serious injuries. The injured were taken to a local hospital.........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=local9.htm&date=20080905
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September 04, 2008 Thursday Ramazan 3, 1429
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30 militants, six civilians killed in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 3: Thirty militants, six civilians and several security personnel were killed as security forces pounded militants’ hideouts in Kabal tehsil of Swat on Wednesday.
According to military spokesman in Swat, Maj Nasir Ali, at least 35 others were injured after security forces launched a search operation on Wednesday morning. The operation, he said, was continuing till late in the evening........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080904
30 militants, six civilians killed in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 3: Thirty militants, six civilians and several security personnel were killed as security forces pounded militants’ hideouts in Kabal tehsil of Swat on Wednesday.
According to military spokesman in Swat, Maj Nasir Ali, at least 35 others were injured after security forces launched a search operation on Wednesday morning. The operation, he said, was continuing till late in the evening.
Air force planes and helicopter gunships and artillery were being used in the operation, he said. He said that militants were on the run in Koza Banda, considered to be the stronghold of elements loyal to radical cleric Mualana Fazlullah.
Residents said four women were among the six civilians killed in the shelling in Koza Banda, Dheri and adjoining areas on Tuesday night, adding that several others had been injured.
Two security personnel identified as Waseem and Shahid were killed and four others, Tariq, Sajjad, Zaffar and Mohammad Irfan, were injured in a gunbattle.
A surveillance drone was seen flying over the area on Wedensday.
An indefinite curfew has been imposed in Swat and the authorities have advised local people to leave the area for the sake of their safety.
Thousands of people have already fled to places like Bara Bandai or Kanju areas in Kabal tehsil.
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Furniture dealer arrested in Wah bombings case
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By Our Correspondent
TAXILA, Sept 3: Investigators have picked up a furniture dealer from Nawababad near Taxila in connection with the Wah Cantonment twin suicide attacks.
Sources said in the light of the information gleaned from Hamidullah, a suspected suicide bomber who was taken into custody from outside the Pakistan Ordnance Factories, the law enforcement agencies arrested Jallad Khan, who hailed from the tribal region and was running a furniture shop on the G.T. Road near Taxila.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat9.htm&date=20080904
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Four ‘militants’ killed in Bajaur attack
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By Our Correspondent
KHAR, Sept 3: At least four militants were killed and several others injured in attacks by security forces on their hideouts in Bajaur Agency on Wednesday.
According to sources, the forces attacked a house at Ghundai Darra in Salarzai where Taliban were holding a meeting. Two militants were killed and two others were injured........
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat3.htm&date=20080904
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September 03, 2008 Wednesday Ramazan 2, 1429
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15 killed in Swat air strikes Taliban claim Chinese in their custody
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 2: The Tehrik-i-Taliban in Swat claimed on Tuesday to have kidnapped two Chinese engineers who had gone missing in Dir Lower four days ago.
Meanwhile, 15 people were killed and about 35 injured when air force jets and helicopters pounded militants’ hideouts in Gut and Peuchar areas of the valley.......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20080903
Taliban claim Chinese in their custody: 15 killed in Swat air strikes
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Sept 2: The Tehrik-i-Taliban in Swat claimed on Tuesday to have kidnapped two Chinese engineers who had gone missing in Dir Lower four days ago.
Meanwhile, 15 people were killed and about 35 injured when air force jets and helicopters pounded militants’ hideouts in Gut and Peuchar areas of the valley.
A Tehrik-i-Taliban spokesman said the militants had picked up the Chinese engineers and their Pakistani security guard and driver. He said the four were safe in the Taliban custody.
He also said that the shura of the banned organisation would decide about the fate of the engineers and a list of demands would be prepared. The government would have to meet the demands in return for their release.
The engineers of the Zong cellular company went missing four days ago from Khararo in Khal area of Dir Lower where they had gone to oversee installation of a communication tower.
AIR STRIKES: ISPR said several militants had been killed and injured in the air strikes. The attacks started early in the morning.
Local people said civilians were also killed.
A spokesman for Taliban said eight civilians had been killed and seven houses damaged by shelling.
Six shops in Matta bazaar owned by Awami National Party leader Afzal Khan Lala were blown up.
The shops had been vacated after threats by militants over the past few days.
Afzal Khan is the only senior nationalist leader who is still living in the troubled valley despite several attacks and continuing threats.
An ASI of traffic police was gunned down reportedly by militants on Tuesday. The local media information centre announced a daily relaxation in curfew from 5am to 11pm during Ramazan. It urged people to exercise extreme vigil, especially during curfew relaxation at night, to thwart any terrorist attack.
A retired schoolteacher was gunned down in Koza Banda in Kabal tehsil.
On Monday night, a post office was set on fire in Deolai.
AFP adds: In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu called on the government of Pakistan to take steps to rescue the Chinese personnel.
“We have requested that Pakistan rescue the two missing staff and ensure their safety. The Chinese government attaches great importance to this.”
She refused to comment on Taliban’s claim.
APP adds from Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik said on Tuesday that military operation in the tribal region and troubled areas of the NWFP had been suspended in reverence for Ramazan.
“Let me make it very clear that the operation has been suspended in the tribal areas, Swat and Bajaur in respect for Ramazan.
“We will strongly react if someone tries to disturb peace or attack the forces,” he told journalists at the Parliament House.
He reiterated that the operation would resume after Ramazan and continue till the establishment of the writ of the government.
He said the situation was improving in Bajaur.
Over 150,000 people displaced from Bajaur had returned home and the remaining 120,000 would go back soon, he added.
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September 02, 2008 Tuesday Ramazan 1, 1429
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Bajaur mission fulfilled: army: Chance to net Zawahiri ‘missed’, says govt
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ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The army said on Monday it had routed Taliban militants in Bajaur, killing 560 Pakistani and foreign fighters and thwarting a push to make Bajaur into a militant fortress.
Maj Gen Athar Abbas, the chief of ISPR, told a western news agency about 20 members of the security forces had died and 30 were missing......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20080902
Bajaur mission fulfilled: army: Chance to net Zawahiri ‘missed’, says govt
ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The army said on Monday it had routed Taliban militants in Bajaur, killing 560 Pakistani and foreign fighters and thwarting a push to make Bajaur into a militant fortress.
Maj Gen Athar Abbas, the chief of ISPR, told a western news agency about 20 members of the security forces had died and 30 were missing.
“In our view, the back has been broken,” he said. “Main leaders are on the run and the people of the area are now openly defying whatever the militants had achieved there.”
Last week, the government had ordered a halt to the operation to allow some of the 300,000 families which fled air strikes and combat in the Bajaur region to return home for Ramazan.
However, officials reported that troops fired on militants seen moving toward a security post late on Monday, and that stray mortar shells killed at least two civilians.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Maj Gen Abbas said many foreigners were reportedly in Bajaur before the operation, but that many had probably fled to Afghanistan or other parts of the NWFP and that the operation had turned up no trace of Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri.
However, the prime minister’s adviser on interior, Rehman Malik, told a press conference that security forces had recently missed a chance to catch Al Qaeda’s second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri.
Rehman Malik did not say when security forces had missed the chance to catch Zawahiri. He would only reveal authorities had received a report that Mr Zawahiri’s wife had recently been seen in Mohmand Agency.
Soldiers stormed the location, but did not find the couple, he said, without indicating when the raid took place. He said Zawahiri had been travelling back and forth between Mohmand and the Afghan provinces of Kunar and Paktika of late.
He parried a question as to where Osama might be.
The adviser said Pakistani Taliban were working hand in glove with Al Qaeda, providing them with shelter and acting as their mouthpiece.
“They have not only connections, I would say Tehrik-i-Taliban is an extension of Al Qaeda.”
Mr Malik accused the Afghan government of letting many of the estimated 3,000 militants who had gathered in Bajaur flee over the frontier.
According to him, the three weeks of fighting in Bajaur had killed an uncertain number of civilians and badly damaged several villages. Of about 500,000 people who fled, many of them to government relief camps, about 30,000 had returned by Monday.
Some, just scraping by, said they could not afford to make the journey home for Ramazan and would instead remain in sweltering, mosquito-infested tents.
Others were gathering up their few belongings and piling into buses and pickup trucks.
“God knows what will happen once we get there,” said Bakhsh Ali Khan, who was heading with his wife and five children to their home in Pashat, an area of Bajaur. “But we’re living in shambles here. Our family has been separated, we do not have enough food, proper clothing or beds.” Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar told a reporter on Monday by telephone that he welcomed the lull in fighting.
However, he said militants would not lay down their arms.
Defence analyst Talat Masood said the suspension of military operations in Bajaur risked squandering any gains made by security forces so far.
“Definitely it will give a fair chance to the militants to regroup, consolidate their strength and stage a comeback,” he said. “This has happened in the past.”
Sergeant Christopher Peavy, a spokesman for US-led forces in Afghanistan, said that while it was too soon to tell if infiltration had decreased, “we are encouraged by the operations that Pakistan’s military is conducting”.
Agencies
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Police exhume bodies of two women buried alive
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By Saleem Shahid and Amanullah Kasi
QUETTA, Sept 1: Police exhumed on Monday night the bodies of two women allegedly buried alive in the Baba Kot area of Nasirabad district last month.
“Police opened up the grave pointed out by the arrested accused and two bodies were found,” DIG Ghulam Shabir Shiekh told Dawn....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top3.htm&date=20080902
Police exhume bodies of two women buried alive
By Saleem Shahid and Amanullah Kasi
QUETTA, Sept 1: Police exhumed on Monday night the bodies of two women allegedly buried alive in the Baba Kot area of Nasirabad district last month.
“Police opened up the grave pointed out by the arrested accused and two bodies were found,” DIG Ghulam Shabir Shiekh told Dawn.
Police cordoned off the area and arrested three people.
Sources said police opened up graves on indications given two of the arrested men -- Umaid Ali and Ghous Bakhsh Umrani --, but did not find any body was found in these places. Later the two spoke about a spot in Gopang Leri area. This time police did find the two bodies after opening up a grave in the presence of a magistrate and a team of leady doctors.
The victims were identified as Izzat Khatoon and Mai Siyani.
According to an initial medical report, the skull of one of the women was found broken and there were bullet wounds on the other body.
“The bodies were buried without shroud (Kafan) in one grave,” the DIG said, adding that it appeared to be a case of “Karo Kari”.
“I am hopeful that other bodies would also be recovered,” said DIG Shabir, who is heading the special investigation team. “Soon the mystery of the killing will be resolved and other people involved in it will be arrested.”
There are conflicting reports about the number of victims. Some sources said that three women were killed while others said two were killed and one had managed to escape.
“We cannot say anything about the number of victims till the completion of digging work,” police sources said.
A police team also visited Usta Mohammad town, from where the women were stated to have been taken away by armed men in a government vehicle.
According to the investigation, two girls and a woman had come to the town in the first week of July and stayed at a hotel near the house of Umaid Ali. The next day some armed men came to the hotel in a government-owned vehicle and whisked them away.Sources said that Umaid Ali had told police during the interrogation that a influential tribal was involved in the kidnapping.
PPP LEADER’S DENIAL: The Balochistan minister and deputy parliamentary leader of the PPP, Mir Sadiq Umrani, said that two women, and not five, had been murdered.
He told a press conference at his assembly chamber that Ata Mohammad Umrani, father of Izzat Khatoon, had named Umaid Ali and Ghous Bakhsh in a police report as his daughter’s killers.
The PPP leader said his family had nothing to do with the incident, accusing his rivals of propaganda.
He said the Sibi DIG and DPOs of Nasirabad, Jaffarabad and Bolan were investigating the matter and the federal government had also sent its team.
BHC TAKES NOTICE: The Balochistan High Court granted on Monday time to police and the Human Rights Commission to submit their reports relating to the murders.
The hearing was adjourned to Sept 22.
A divisional bench comprising Chief Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani accepted applications of Jaffarabad DPO Nazir Kurd and HRCP (Balochistan chapter) vice-chairperson Malik Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani seeking time for submitting reports.
The chief justice had on July 16 taken suo motu notice of a newspaper report published on July 14 regarding the July 13 killings.
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Uproar in Senate over burying of women alive
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By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The Senate strongly condemned on Monday the burying alive of five women in Balochistan in the name of family honour and demanded severe punishment of people who committed the crime.
The senators expressed serious concern over what they called a deliberate hush-up of the killing and then its attribution to Baloch tribal traditions. Saying that there was no such tradition in the Baloch society they urged the government to ensure that such crimes were not committed in future......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080902
Uproar in Senate over burying of women alive
By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The Senate strongly condemned on Monday the burying alive of five women in Balochistan in the name of family honour and demanded severe punishment of people who committed the crime.
The senators expressed serious concern over what they called a deliberate hush-up of the killing and then its attribution to Baloch tribal traditions. Saying that there was no such tradition in the Baloch society they urged the government to ensure that such crimes were not committed in future.
The government presented a report which gave a ‘twist’ to the incident by changing the burying of the women alive into the killing and then burying and said it was the result of a land dispute and not a case of honour killing as had been reported.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik informed the house that according to the local police report three women -- Fauzia, Fatima and Jannat Bibi -- had been killed following a land dispute.
However, he pointed out that the IG Balochistan had a different version and he said that the three women had been taken in a taxi to some place and brought back the following day and gunned down and buried.
The adviser did not mention the incident as of ‘burying alive’. But, he assured the house that the culprit(s) would be punished in accordance with the law.
He said the Balochistan High Court had already taken suo moto notice of the incident and justice would be done.
“We have rejected a preliminary report and sought a detailed report. The killing for honour is not confined to only Balochistan; such incidents also take place in other provinces.” The house unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the incident. It was moved by Yasmeen Shah and Wasim Sajjad of the PML-Q. Senators in their speeches criticised Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri’s statement that the incident was part of Baloch tribal traditions.
The resolution said: “This house strongly condemns the gruesome incident of killing/burying alive of five Baloch women and demands meting out stern punishment to those involved in the crime.”
Acting chairman of Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali, who appeared perturbed over what he called ‘out of proportion’ coverage to the incident, said: “It is not a matter of mere sloganeering. It pertained to five women. The media gave the matter such a colour as if heavens have fallen.”
Leader of the House Raza Rabbani urged Mr Jamali to send the matter to the house committee on human rights which might co-opt the parties having no representation in it to visit the area and investigate the incident and report back to the house.
Earlier, Haji Mohammad Adeel of the ANP said: “We hold Baloch Sardars in high esteem but we cannot allow anyone to bury women alive.”
Prof Khurshid Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami said no jirga or tradition allowed killing women in such a manner. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of the JUI-F attributed the incident to the so-called women protection bill and proposed necessary amendments to the law.
Abdul Rahim Mandokhel of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party said: “All decisions should be made in accordance with the law of land.”
Ishaq Dar of the PML-N deplored the remarks of some lawmakers mingling the violation of law with tribal traditions.
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Eight die in Bajaur shelling
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By Anwarullah Khan
KHAR, Sept 1: Eight people were killed when mortar shells hit a house in Inayet Kali area of Bajaur on Monday despite a ceasefire announced by the government on Sunday night.
According to sources, security forces launched the attack after receiving an information that militants had regrouped near the Bajaur Scouts camp......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top6.htm&date=20080902
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September 01, 2008 Monday Sha'aban 29, 1429
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Displaced Bajaur people refuse to return
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By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Tens of thousands of internally displaced people from the Bajaur tribal agency are refusing to return to their homes despite the government’s announcement of a temporary ceasefire during the month of Ramazan because of fear that fighting between the Islamic militants and security forces may continue regardless of the truce offer.
A DawnNews correspondent who travelled all the way to the largest refugee camp in Munda says the inflow of refugees has continued from the troubled area which looks like a virtual war zone.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20080901
Displaced Bajaur people refuse to return
By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Tens of thousands of internally displaced people from the Bajaur tribal agency are refusing to return to their homes despite the government’s announcement of a temporary ceasefire during the month of Ramazan because of fear that fighting between the Islamic militants and security forces may continue regardless of the truce offer.
A DawnNews correspondent who travelled all the way to the largest refugee camp in Munda says the inflow of refugees has continued from the troubled area which looks like a virtual war zone.
As security forces launched their offensive against the militants in Bajaur Agency several weeks ago, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes to save their lives.
It is already being described by some relief agencies as one of the biggest case of internal displacement in Pakistan.
The government has announced to halt the operation in Bajaur during the holy month of Ramazan, but the return of all the displaced people might not be possible in a few days.
Several relief camps have been set up in Lower Dir, Timergarah, Dargai and other parts of the Frontier province to accommodate the displaced people.
In some of the remote refugee camps where relief aid is slow to reach, the condition of the displaced people is said to be extremely bad, raising the fear of starvation and disease.
“My house was destroyed. What should I do? There is no one except Allah who can listen to my prayers,” mourns Bacha Awal Khan, in the Munda relief camp in Lower Dir.
The camp is closest to Bajaur Agency, hence accommodates thousands of displaced people. But the life away from the comforts of home is painful. Majority of the displaced people could not bring their essential belongings with them.
Besides, the food they get in the relief camp is not enough. Several displaced people complain against the quality of food and attitude of the management of the camps.
A special report on the plight of the internally displaced people of Bajaur, ‘Homeless in the Homeland’, which is based on the first-hand account from the Munda camp and adjoining areas would be telecast on DawnNews TV at 7.30pm on Monday.
The special report focuses on children who make a new but unique generation of Pakistani refugees in Pakistan.
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August 31, 2008 Sunday Sha'aban 28, 1429
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Operation put on hold for one month
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LAHORE, Aug 30: The ongoing military operation against militants in tribal areas will come to a halt on the midnight of August 31 and remain suspended during Ramazan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik announced here on Saturday.
He was talking to reporters after attending a seminar on ‘Secure Pakistan: National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes’ organised by FIA.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20080831
Operation put on hold for one month
LAHORE, Aug 30: The ongoing military operation against militants in tribal areas will come to a halt on the midnight of August 31 and remain suspended during Ramazan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik announced here on Saturday.
He was talking to reporters after attending a seminar on ‘Secure Pakistan: National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes’ organised by FIA.
Mr Malik said the operation would remain suspended till the 2nd day of Eidul Fitr.
However, he pointed out, law-enforcement agencies would respond with full force, if anybody tried to take advantage of the government initiative and indulged in militancy.
He said all people who had left their homes because of violence in the tribal region, should go back, adding that their security and safety would be ensured by law-enforcement agencies.
The adviser said 23,000 people had already gone back to their homes. He said satellites were being used to monitor militants’ activities and because of it, security agencies had achieved successes.
He said people in the affected areas had started playing an effective role in the operation against militants, adding that they had not only disallowed them from entering their areas but they had also driven them out. If the militants resisted, people had even killed them, he said.
Mr Malik said the government would strictly adhere to a policy of no leniency towards militants, adding that it would never hold talks with them.
Referring to Dr Afia’s case, he said the government would fully support her.
He said that militants should not be projected as heroes by the media. He cited India’s example and said journalists there kept national interests supreme and did not report various incidents occurring there on TV channels.
Earlier, in his speech at the seminar, Mr Malik said FIA would create public awareness about cyber crimes and added that tribunals would be set up soon to deal with such crimes.
FIA Director-General Tariq Pervez and project director of the National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes Syed Ammar Hussain Jafferi also spoke.
—APP
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Swat death toll touches 40
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MINGORA, Aug 30: The death toll in two days of fighting in Swat climbed to 40 as security forces continued to pound militant positions in the Peochar area of the valley on Saturday.
Military spokesman in Swat Major Nasir Ali said that about 40 militants were killed and as many injured in the past 24 hours.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20080831
Swat death toll touches 40
MINGORA, Aug 30: The death toll in two days of fighting in Swat climbed to 40 as security forces continued to pound militant positions in the Peochar area of the valley on Saturday.
Military spokesman in Swat Major Nasir Ali said that about 40 militants were killed and as many injured in the past 24 hours.
Jet fighters and helicopter gunships bombarded the suspected positions in the Matta tehsil.
He said in accordance with the directives of high-ups in the NWFP government and Pakistan Army, the security forces targeted suspected hideouts. He said the operation would continue till the writ of the government was established and militants flushed out of the area.
However, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said only five people, most of them civilians, were killed in the strikes.
Talking to newsmen in Peochar, he admitted that commander Mufti Saeedur Rehman and another militant were among the dead. However, he rejected the reports about the death of Maulana Fazlullah, saying he was safe.
Two deceased were civilians, he said, adding that only eight houses were destroyed in the bombing.
Local people said that a journalist, Abdul Aziz, who had been in the Taliban captivity, was also killed in the attack. His funeral was held at his home town of Khariray in the Matta tehsil, they added.—Correspondent
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August 30, 2008 Saturday Sha'aban 27, 1429
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22 Taliban killed in Swat air strike
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ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: At least 20 militants and their two senior commanders were killed in the Swat valley late on Friday in an air strike by the military, a senior security official said.
“Fighter jets struck the militants’ hideouts in (the area of) Peochar, killing 22,” the security official said.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20080830
22 Taliban killed in Swat air strike
ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: At least 20 militants and their two senior commanders were killed in the Swat valley late on Friday in an air strike by the military, a senior security official said.
“Fighter jets struck the militants’ hideouts in (the area of) Peochar, killing 22,” the security official said.
A military spokesman in Swat told AFP that “a core of militants” had perished in the operation.
“Over 25 are dead, including two senior commanders,” the spokesman said.
“Their command and communications structure has also been destroyed. This was their key area where they had set up ammunition depots, which were also demolished.”
“This strike was carried out after intelligence that top Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah was hiding there,” the security official said, but he was unable to confirm if the main target was among the dead.
He did, however, say that two of the cleric’s senior commanders had been killed.
Chief military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas confirmed to AFP that several hideouts were destroyed in action and he was still collecting information.
Our Correspondent adds from Mingora: Key Taliban commander Mufti Saeedur Rehamn is believed to have been killed along with other militants when jet fighters pounded suspected hideouts destroying a number of ammunition dumps.
Military spokesman in Swat Major Nasir Ali told Dawn: “Ammunition dumps in the Peuchar area have been blown up in the heavy bombing. Smoke is billowing from the targeted site.”
Security forces had shelled suspected militant positions in Matta, Kabal and Charbagh tehsils late on Thursday night.
Three people were killed and five others injured in incidents of violence on Friday.
One man was killed in Dailay area of Barabanda and another in Hazar area of Kabal in incidents of firing.
In Matta a woman was killed and four children were injured when a mortar shell hit their house.
The house and Hujra of former nazim and chairman Swat peace committee Sher Khan also came under mortar attack. The elder brother of the former nazim was injured and the house was destroyed. Some adjacent houses were also damaged.
Curfew in Swat was relaxed from 7am to 8pm on Friday.
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Burying of women alive defended in Senate
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By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Balochistan Senator Sardar Israrullah Zehri stunned the upper house on Friday when he defended the recent incident of burying alive three teenage girls and two women in his province, saying it was part of “our tribal custom.”
Senator Bibi Yasmin Shah of the PML-Q raised the issue citing a newspaper report that the girls, three of them aged between 16 and 18 years, had been buried alive a month ago for wishing to marry of their own will....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080830
Burying of women alive defended in Senate
By Ahmed Hassan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Balochistan Senator Sardar Israrullah Zehri stunned the upper house on Friday when he defended the recent incident of burying alive three teenage girls and two women in his province, saying it was part of “our tribal custom.”
Senator Bibi Yasmin Shah of the PML-Q raised the issue citing a newspaper report that the girls, three of them aged between 16 and 18 years, had been buried alive a month ago for wishing to marry of their own will.
The barbaric incident took place in a remote village of Jafarabad district and a PPP minister and some other influential people were reported to have been involved. The report accused the provincial government of trying to hush up the issue.
Ms Shah said that the hapless girls and the women were first shot in the name of honour and then buried while they were alive. She also said that no criminal had been arrested so far.
Acting Chairman of Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali, who was presiding over the session, said: “Yasmin Shah should go to our society and see for herself what the situation is like there and then come back to raise such questions in the house.”
Maulana Ghafoor Haideri of the JUI-F said there was no tradition of burying women alive in Baloch society because it was against Islam’s teachings.
Jamal Leghari of PML-Q emphatically stated that there was no custom of burying people alive, adding that the Baloch people did not believe in it.
Senator Jan Jamali commented: “This is a provincial matter and it is being investigated at the provincial level and let us wait for the report of the investigation.” Leader of the Opposition Kamil Ali Agha accused the Balochistan government of ignoring the incident and said no jirga could order the burying of women alive and no law allowed anyone to commit such a crime and go unpunished. He urged the government to punish the people involved in it.
Leader of the House Mian Raza Rabbani said: “We condemn the heinous act and assure the house that a complete report on the incident would be submitted on Monday.”
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Tribal lashkar, militants come face to face in Bajaur
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By Anwarullah Khan
KHAR, Aug 29: Tension gripped the Bajaur region after militants and tribesmen prepared each other’s positions in Banqool area and the Salarzai jirga announced formation of a tribal lashkar of 1,300 men.
Three suspected militants were killed and seven others were injured when security forces backed by artillery and helicopter gunships pounded Malkana, Chothra, Ghakhi and Berakai areas with mortar and canon shells.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top17.htm&date=20080830
Tribal lashkar, militants come face to face in Bajaur
By Anwarullah Khan
KHAR, Aug 29: Tension gripped the Bajaur region after militants and tribesmen prepared each other’s positions in Banqool area and the Salarzai jirga announced formation of a tribal lashkar of 1,300 men.
Three suspected militants were killed and seven others were injured when security forces backed by artillery and helicopter gunships pounded Malkana, Chothra, Ghakhi and Berakai areas with mortar and canon shells.
The lashkar organised by the Salarzai tribe dug trenches and set up bunkers near Pashat in Banqool area.
And about 800 militants of Taliban’s Naimatullah group came out of their hideouts to confront the lashkar.
The group has occupied a number of girls’ schools in the area and set up its headquarters and courts in them.
The Salarzai jirga has sent delegations to Malasaid, Banda, Berakai and Baro areas to inform the tribes about actions they planned against the Taliban.
A member of the jirga told Dawn that teams would also be sent to other areas to form a huge lashkar, adding that the tribesmen were determined to wage a decisive fight.
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August 29, 2008 Friday Sha'aban 26, 1429
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Taliban ask people to leave troubled areas
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Aug 28: The Taliban have asked the people to leave the troubled areas of Swat and move to safe places as five more people were killed in the valley on Thursday.
Sources said that militants had erected barricades on different roads and were targeting pro-government people.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20080829
Taliban ask people to leave troubled areas
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Aug 28: The Taliban have asked the people to leave the troubled areas of Swat and move to safe places as five more people were killed in the valley on Thursday.
Sources said that militants had erected barricades on different roads and were targeting pro-government people.
They said that local leaders and workers of political parties, particularly the Awami National Party (ANP) which is leading the coalition government in the province, were receiving threats.
The Taliban have accused them of supporting the military operation in the region.
The provincial government, meanwhile, has taken strong notice of the killing of innocent people and attacks on the property of ANP leaders and workers and asserted that the government’ writ would be established.
On Thursday, the body of Ahmed Khan, brother-in-law of Sher Shah Khan, district president of the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao), was found in Kozabandai of Kabal tehsil. He had been kidnapped by the militants a few days ago.
The bodies of two youths, identified as Ali Asghar and Shaukat, kidnapped about a week ago, were found in Aligrama. Their throats had been slit.
A tribesman, identified as Amanullah, was gunned down in Deolai and his body was found in Golibagh of Charbagh tehsil. Security forces, backed by artillery and helicopter gunships, pounded militants’ positions in different areas of the valley. However, no casualty was reported.
An 11-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were injured by shellings in Kozabanda and Pai Mohammad areas. They were taken to the district headquarters hospital in Saidu Sharif.
The shellings also damaged a number of houses in different areas of Matta, Charbagh and Kabal tehsils.
A curfew in place in Swat was relaxed from 7am to 8pm on Thursday, except in Kabal and Matta.
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Thousands of children didn’t get polio drops
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By Ashfaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR, Aug 28: Thousands of children in the NWFP and Fata were not vaccinated against polio during a recent campaign because of continuing opposition by a large number of people to administration of polio drops.
According to health officials, vaccinators were unable to administer polio drops to around 39,498 children during the three-day campaign launched on Aug 19. However, most of the children were later covered during a monitoring campaign, but still 8,825 children were not immunised mainly in Mohmand Agency, Malakand and Lakki Marwat.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top11.htm&date=20080829
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Six militants killed, five captured in Bajaur
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By Anwarullah Khan
KHAR, Aug 28: Security forces killed five militants in fresh attacks on suspected locations in Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur tribal region on Thursday.
Sources said tribesmen killed a militant and captured five others in the Pashat area. A civilian was killed when four shells fell on a house in Siddiqabad......
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat1.htm&date=20080829
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August 28, 2008 Thursday Sha'aban 25, 1429
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Swat militants’ positions shelled
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Aug 27: Fresh tension gripped the Swat Valley after militants blew up four private transport offices at the Matta general bus stand and security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, shelled suspected militant hideouts on Wednesday.
The transport offices which run and regulate Karachi-bound coaches were blown up on Tuesday night. However, no casualty was reported because the transporters had vacated the offices several days ago....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top2.htm&date=20080828
Swat militants’ positions shelled
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Aug 27: Fresh tension gripped the Swat Valley after militants blew up four private transport offices at the Matta general bus stand and security forces, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery, shelled suspected militant hideouts on Wednesday.
The transport offices which run and regulate Karachi-bound coaches were blown up on Tuesday night. However, no casualty was reported because the transporters had vacated the offices several days ago.
The explosions caused by devices planted by militants destroyed the offices.
The security forces pounded suspected militant positions with mortar and shells in upper areas of Kabal, Barikot, Matta and Charbagh tehsils from the Frontier House of Kabal and the FC camp in Kanju early on Wednesday. Several houses were damaged when some shells fell in residential areas. However, there was no report of any casualty.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people were continued to leave their homes and moving to safe places in the district and other areas of the province.
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25 killed in Bajaur
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By Our Correspondent
KHAR, Aug 27: At least 25 people were killed and 30 others injured in attacks on several areas in Salarzai and Nawagai tehsils of Bajaur Agency on Wednesday.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) put the casualty figure at 36 killed and 40 injured....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top14.htm&date=20080828
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August 27, 2008 Wednesday Sha'aban 24, 1429
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Houses of ANP leaders blown up in Swat
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Aug 26: Two little girls were killed when Taliban blew up houses of ANP leaders in Swat on Tuesday.
Four houses and two hujras belonging to Matta ANP president Muzaffar Ali Khan and his brothers Mukhtiar Khan, a leader of transporters’ association, Wazir Ali and Sardar Ali, were blown up in Shakar Dara area of Matta tehsil.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat4.htm&date=20080827
Houses of ANP leaders blown up in Swat
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Aug 26: Two little girls were killed when Taliban blew up houses of ANP leaders in Swat on Tuesday.
Four houses and two hujras belonging to Matta ANP president Muzaffar Ali Khan and his brothers Mukhtiar Khan, a leader of transporters’ association, Wazir Ali and Sardar Ali, were blown up in Shakar Dara area of Matta tehsil.
The ANP leaders had vacated the houses some time ago for fear of such attacks.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks saying the military operation was being carried out at the behest of the ANP.
The girls, identified as two-year-old Gulnaz and three-year-old Shabana, were injured when a mortar shell fell on their house.
They were taken to a hospital where they died.
Tweleve-year-old Najeebullah was killed and eleven others were injured in a bomb blast at the Shah Dara police post.
The post was completely destroyed. An unidentified man was gunned down in Kabal Khas.
Farhat and her daughter Sawara were injured when a shell hit the house of one Akbar Ali in Ghaligi areas of Barikot.
Omar Din was injured when a mortar shell hit his house in Ghaligi.
A government girls’ school was blown up in Manglawar, damaging five rooms and furniture.
Local people, meanwhile, continued leaving their houses and moving to other areas because of continues shelling of civilian areas and targeted killings by the militants.
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August 26, 2008 Tuesday Sha'aban 23, 1429
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Taliban kill legislator’s brother and nephews
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By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Aug 25: A brother and two nephews of Awami National Party MPA Waqar Ahmed Khan and nine other people were killed and several others injured in clashes in Swat on Monday.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed his men had killed the brother of Mr Khan in revenge for military operation which he said was being carried out on the directives of the ANP-led government....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top9.htm&date=20080826
Taliban kill legislator’s brother and nephews
By Our Correspondent
MINGORA, Aug 25: A brother and two nephews of Awami National Party MPA Waqar Ahmed Khan and nine other people were killed and several others injured in clashes in Swat on Monday.
Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan claimed his men had killed the brother of Mr Khan in revenge for military operation which he said was being carried out on the directives of the ANP-led government.
The militants lobbed hand-grenades on the house of Iqbal Ahmed Khan, the elder brother of the legislator, in Shah Dheri area at about 8 am, killing him and his sons Jamil Khan and Abbas Khan.
Four guards, Sultan Zarin, Sher Bahadar, Bismillah Jan and Lal Syed were also killed and servant Elam Khan was injured.
The militants also gunned down Iqbal Khan’s neighbour Shafiullah Khan who was a soldier in the Frontier Constabulary, said Kabal police.
Police said the militants also blew up the house and hujra of Iqbal Khan.
The militants killed two pro-government tribesmen in Chotta Kalam area near Shakardara. They brought them out of a vehicle and shot them dead.
According to ISPR, two Taliban militants were killed and several others were injured when helicopter gunships pounded their hideouts in Barabanda.
A police post was blown up when militants detonated an improvised explosive device, injuring two policemen and two civilians.
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Tehrik-i-Taliban banned
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By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
“We have banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan because of its involvement in a series of suicide attacks that claimed the lives of over 1,200 people,” Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik told Dawn on Monday....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top12.htm&date=20080826
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Kalabagh dam to be built as per 2006 decision, NA told
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By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that the Kalabagh dam was in the list of projects to be implemented to enhance water storage capacity in the country.
“New large dams on Indus, Swat and Kurram rivers namely Diamer-Bhasha, Akhori, Kalabagh, Munda and Kurram Tangi dams etc., will be constructed in pursuance of the cabinet decision of January 17, 2006 to store additional 23.5 MAF of water,” Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf told the house during question hour....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat7.htm&date=20080826
Kalabagh dam to be built as per 2006 decision, NA told
By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that the Kalabagh dam was in the list of projects to be implemented to enhance water storage capacity in the country.
“New large dams on Indus, Swat and Kurram rivers namely Diamer-Bhasha, Akhori, Kalabagh, Munda and Kurram Tangi dams etc., will be constructed in pursuance of the cabinet decision of January 17, 2006 to store additional 23.5 MAF of water,” Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf told the house during question hour.
The minister’s statement surprised many as the PPP which heads the coalition government has been opposing the idea of constructing the Kalabagh dam. It was Mr Ashraf himself who recently announced that the plan to construct the dam has been abandoned.
The house was told that the existing water storage capacity of reservoirs was only 13.24 MAF. It includes Tarbela (8.07), Mangla (4.67) and Chashma (0.50) MAF
The minister said Wapda has initiated Vision-2025 programme for development and efficient management of water and power resources. Under the programme, Mirani and Sabakzai dams in Balochistan have been completed in the year 2006 and 2007, respectively.
He said Gomal Zam and Satpara dams were being constructed to regulate the flows especially in the monsoon season. Mangla dam was being raised by 30 feet to store additional water of 2.88 MAF.
Mr Ashraf said the feasibility study of Akhori dam project was completed in November 2005. Detailed engineering studies will take 30 months and construction will take five years subject to approval of PC-II for detailed engineering design and PC-I for construction of the project. He said an amount of Rs286.857 million has been incurred on the preparation of feasibility study of the project. He said the cost of construction of Akhori dam was estimated at $4.4 billion in 2005. He said Rs50 million have been allocated for engineering studies of the project for the year 2008-09.
He said the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam is expected to commence in the year 2009. He said the anticipated total cost of the project is $12.6 billion. He said an allocation of Rs920 million has been made in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2008-09 for construction of 23 small dams in NWFP, Nai Gaj dam in Sindh and Hingol, Naulong, Sukleji and Winder dam in Balochistan. He said the provincial governments were also undertaking small dam projects out of their own resources.
The minister claimed that around 250 megawatt of electricity had so far been saved by advancing the clock by one hour.
He assured the house that the duration of loadshedding would be kept at the minimum possible level during the holy month of Ramazan. He said on the instructions of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, there would be no loadshedding during Iftar and Sehar.
Answering another question, he said there was no proposal to provide subsidy in electricity bills to the farmers in Balochistan.
Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza admonished the minister for water and power on an occasion noticing that replies to many of the questions pertaining to his ministry had not been received. She deplored that answers to the questions that had been deferred previously were still not available. These included queries about time by which loadshedding will be totally eliminated, the quantum of electricity supply at present, the steps being taken by the government in the wake of commencement of construction of Kishan Ganga dam by India to divert river Neelum and the time by which Golen Gol hydel power project will become functional.
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‘Taliban backed by RAW trained Wah bombers’
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By Our Correspondent
TAXILA, Aug 25: The two suicide bombers who blew themselves at the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) gates in Wah Cantonment last week were trained in Miramshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency, by the Pakistani Taliban allegedly supported by the Indian intelligence agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Officials privy to investigations told this reporter on condition of anonymity that the bombers were aged between 17 and 20 and they were natives of Khyber Agency.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat9.htm&date=20080826
‘Taliban backed by RAW trained Wah bombers’
By Our Correspondent
TAXILA, Aug 25: The two suicide bombers who blew themselves at the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) gates in Wah Cantonment last week were trained in Miramshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency, by the Pakistani Taliban allegedly supported by the Indian intelligence agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Officials privy to investigations told this reporter on condition of anonymity that the bombers were aged between 17 and 20 and they were natives of Khyber Agency.
According to the officials, the detained would-be suicide bomber, who identified himself as Hameedullah, revealed some stunning facts about the activities and involvement of proxy Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Hameedullah described how the Taliban trained and provided arms and ammunition to the militants. They have also hired psychologists who brainwash innocent youth from different seminaries and transform them into hard-line militant or “Fidayeen”.
The officials said Hameedullah was arrested while trying to flee from the scene of the blasts in a taxi. Soon after the incident, law-enforcement agencies seized an explosive-vest that the suspect had left in a toilet at a mosque located close to the POF complex.
During initial interrogation, the man confessed that he wanted to blow himself up at the arms factory but lost heart at the last moment.
The officials declined to give more details because it could affect the ongoing investigation.
However, they said there was an overwhelming body of evidence showing that RAW and the Afghan intelligence agencies had stepped up their activities in Pakistan.
“RAW and the Afghan intelligence agencies are very much active in the tribal areas. Several Afghan agents have been arrested and they confessed that they were trained by the Indians in Afghanistan,” the officials said.
“There are more than 10,000 Indian soldiers in Afghanistan, ostensibly to protect engineers involved in road building activities. But, in fact, most of them are spies and there maybe thousands more who are causing carnage in Pakistan” they added.
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Books in Shina language launched
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By A Correspondent
GILGIT, Aug 25: The launching of five books namely Folktales in the Shina of Gilgit, Dadii Shilooke Vol: I-II’, Shina Urdu Angreezi Bol Chal, Alkhaanoo Bijoon, written by Shakil Ahmad Shakil, a linguist and researcher, was held under the patronage of Shina Language and Culture Promotion Society in a local hotel on Monday.
Inayatullah Shumali, chairman Gilgit-Baltistan National Alliance, who inaugurated the function, said that Shakil Ahmad Shakil’s writings had high literary quality. He added that Shakil Ahmad Shakil was really a sufi who had offered five noble treatises to Shina language. He said that knowledge was the outcome of relationship with God, not a product of selfish intent.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=nat26.htm&date=20080826
Books in Shina language launched
By A Correspondent
GILGIT, Aug 25: The launching of five books namely Folktales in the Shina of Gilgit, Dadii Shilooke Vol: I-II’, Shina Urdu Angreezi Bol Chal, Alkhaanoo Bijoon, written by Shakil Ahmad Shakil, a linguist and researcher, was held under the patronage of Shina Language and Culture Promotion Society in a local hotel on Monday.
Inayatullah Shumali, chairman Gilgit-Baltistan National Alliance, who inaugurated the function, said that Shakil Ahmad Shakil’s writings had high literary quality. He added that Shakil Ahmad Shakil was really a sufi who had offered five noble treatises to Shina language. He said that knowledge was the outcome of relationship with God, not a product of selfish intent.
The chief guest, Ghulam Abbas Gandalo, a well-known educationist and research scholar, speaking on the author’s personality, said that dervishi did not craft a personality which could be shaken by uncertainties or difficulties. “We can easily see this significant quality in Shakil’s life.’ He asked Shakil Ahmad to publish all of his writings.
Salman Ali, an activist of SLCPS, read from a writing of social scientist and researcher Aziz Ali Dad, in which Aziz has discussed the threat to languages that globalisation poses. The author fears that the 21st century would prove to be the graveyard of local languages. Israruddin Israr, journalist and writer, read his paper on Shakil Ahmad Shakil’s work and said that his work on Shina was of world standard.
Poet and playwright Abdul Hafeez Shakir described Shakil Ahmad Shakil’s work as helpful in phonetic expression of Shina language. It would promote documentation of the oral literature of Shina as well as its modern literature. He added that Shakil Ahmad Shakil would inspire others to take interest in the future of the Shina language.
Shakil Ahmad Shakil speaking about his work quoted Rolland Barth’s saying that “writing writes not writers”. It meant that literature was not produced in air. It was produced in a literary tradition. He thanked the Shina Language and Culture Promotion Society for organizing the function to launch his books. He also thanked Karakoram Co-operative Bank Ltd and Northern Areas Transport Corporation for their moral and financial support.
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August 25, 2008 Monday Sha'aban 22, 1429
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Taliban’s offer to cease fire, hold talks rejected
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Dawn Report
ISLAMABAD / KHAR, Aug 24: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik rejected on Sunday a Taliban offer for ceasefire in tribal areas and said that if the militants were serious about peace talks they should first surrender their arms.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan had earlier declared a unilateral ceasefire and said it was ready to hold talks with the government if the military operation was halted....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top4.htm&date=20080825
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Woman among six killed in Swat
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MINGORA, Aug 24: At least six people, one of them a woman, were killed and 40 others were injured when security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militants’ hideouts in Kabal tehsil of Swat on Sunday.
According to local people, four people were killed when helicopter gunships attacked some areas in Kabal, a stronghold of the militants.....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top5.htm&date=20080825
Woman among six killed in Swat
MINGORA, Aug 24: At least six people, one of them a woman, were killed and 40 others were injured when security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militants’ hideouts in Kabal tehsil of Swat on Sunday.
According to local people, four people were killed when helicopter gunships attacked some areas in Kabal, a stronghold of the militants.
A canon shell landed in the house of one Altaf Hussain in Totano Banda area, killing his son and a guest.
About 40 people were injured and houses damaged in the attacks.
Four bullet-riddled bodies with hands tied with rope were found in a ditch in Khareri area of Matta tehsil.
The bodies were handed over to relatives.
The motive behind the murder could not be ascertained.
Matta police had no information about the incident.
Security forces, meanwhile, relaxed the curfew in Mingora and adjoining areas from 8am to 8pm.
But the curfew in troubled areas of Kabal and Charbagh was not relaxed.
Local people said they had been facing problems because of non-availability of items of daily use.
Tehrik-i-Taliban spokesman for Swat, Muslim Khan, said armed resistance would continue till the enforcement of Shariah in the region.
Meanwhile, funeral of 10 army soldiers killed a day earlier in Kabal area of Swat, was held in Peshawar on Sunday.
NWFP Governor Owais Ghani, Chief Minister Amir Haidar Khan Hoti, senior minister Rahim Dad Khan and GOC Maj-Gen Ghulam Dastagir attended the prayers.—Hameedullah Khan
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August 24, 2008 Sunday Sha'aban 21, 1429
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Suicide attack, operation in Swat claim 67 lives
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By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Aug 23: Ten army soldiers, seven policemen, 50 militants and a number of civilians were killed in a suicide attack on a police station and the subsequent military operation in Swat on Saturday.
A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden jeep into the Charbagh police station at 7.45am, killing four policemen and three civilians. Twenty others were wounded. About 100kg of explosives were used in the attack....
http://www.dawn.com/cgi-bin/dina.pl?file=top1.htm&date=20080824
Suicide attack, operation in Swat claim 67 lives
By Hameedullah Khan
MINGORA, Aug 23: Ten army soldiers, seven policemen, 50 militants and a number of civilians were killed in a suicide attack on a police station and the subsequent military operation in Swat on Saturday.
A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden jeep into the Charbagh police station at 7.45am, killing four policemen and three civilians. Twenty others were wounded. About