Pakistan sends 4,000 troops to NWFP

The Pakistan government has deployed 4,000 troops in the Swat Valley of NWFP province to counter the activities of a pro-Taliban cleric whose men have challenged the writ of the local administration.

The Pakistan government has deployed 4,000 troops in the Swat Valley of NWFP province to counter the activities of a pro-Taliban cleric whose men have challenged the writ of the local administration.

The move came hours after four security personnel were injured in a bomb attack on a military caravan in the Malakand area late Tuesday. Seven persons were arrested in connection with the attack.

Military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said the paramilitary troops had been deployed to stop the illegal activities of Maulana Faizullah, a radical cleric who is popularly known as the ‘FM Maulana’ for his fiery sermons and edicts broadcast on an illegal FM radio station.

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Faizullah is the leader of the band Tanzim Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi and has thousands of followers.

Reports from Swat, located 50 km from the provincial capital of Peshawar, said the troops were advancing towards Faizullah’s madrassa. Many people were fleeing the region as they were apprehensive about the outbreak of violent clashes.

Local residents said helicopter gunships were hovering over the region and troops had closed many roads and entry points to the Swat region, which till recently was popular with tourists. All schools in the area have also been closed.

The drive against Faizullah is part of a larger operation by the NWFP government to curb militant activities in the region. The army has decided to act against the cleric in the first phase as he is the most influential militant leader in the area, sources said.

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