Emboldened Taliban threaten other areas of Pak

Militants armed with advanced weapons are now reportedly advancing towards Swabi,Malakand and Mardan,the hometown of NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti.

The militants,who sneaked into Buner on April 4,have been on a “looting spree” for the past five days. They have robbed government and NGO offices of vehicles,computers,generators,and food and nutrition packets,the Dawn newspaper reported.

Leading politicians,businessmen,NGO officials and influential persons who played a role in raising a ‘lashkar’ or tribal militia against the Taliban have been forced to flee Buner to other areas. Buner was earlier a stronghold of the secular Awami National Party that rules the NWFP.

The Taliban now control almost all ‘tehsils’ of Buner and law enforcement personnel are “confined to police stations and camps”,the newspaper reported.

The militants have also dug trenches and set up bunkers on heights in strategic towns in Buner. The fighters led by Commander Fateh Mohammad are asking people,especially youngsters,to join them in their campaign to enforce Shariah.

Meanwhile,the situation in Swat has again become tense as the Taliban have resumed armed patrolling,set up check posts and issued warnings to security personnel to “hold back”,The News daily reported.

The Taliban conducted armed patrolling in Matta,Khwazakhela,Kabal,Barikot,Kanju and Qamber areas of Swat. They also set up check points and bunkers in various parts of the valley. The militants had stopped such activities after calling a unilateral truce when the NWFP government signed a peace deal with religious hardliners in February.

Security forces too started checking vehicles at their checkpoints in Swat from Tuesday. These developments have increased tension in the conflict-ravaged valley and sparked apprehensions among people about the return of violence to the area.

Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the militants had the right to patrol roads after the setting up of check points by security forces. He warned that the militants would take strong action against security forces “if they dared to act against the Taliban”.

Militants on Tuesday kidnapped four persons in Swat and five persons,including a deputy nazim or mayor,in Shangla district. They had earlier kidnapped 10 people,most of them security personnel,a few days earlier.

The local administration in Swat and Buner has done little to halt the activities of the Taliban. Though Syed Muhammad Javed,the Commissioner of Malakand division,which includes Swat,chaired a meeting on Tuesday to take stock of the security situation,he only asked officers to concentrate on infrastructure development,education and better traffic system in their areas.

Javed said a grand jirga of tribal elders would be convened to address the security situation.