Adil Najam
The Taliban onslaught against Pakistan continues relentlessly. The feeling of a polity unraveling before our eyes deepens.
Analyses boggle the mind because just keeping up with the news is hard enough. So, here are excerpts from just a few of recent news reports that are worth a read.
Buner falls into the hands of Swat Taliban
(Dawn, April 23, 2009)Taliban militants from Swat took control of Buner on Tuesday and started patrolling bazaars, villages and towns in the district. The militants, who had sneaked into Gokand valley of Buner on April 4, were reported to have been on a looting spree for the past five days. They have robbed government and NGO offices of vehicles, computers, printers, generators, edible oil containers, and food and nutrition packets.
The Taliban have extended their control to almost all tehsils of the district and law-enforcement personnel remained confined to police stations and camps. The Taliban, equipped with advanced weapons, were reported to be advancing towards border areas of Swabi, Malakand and Mardan, the hometown of NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti.
The militants have started digging trenches and setting up bunkers on heights in strategic towns of Gadezi, Salarzai, Osherai and other tehsils. After occupying the Buner district and setting up their headquarters in the bungalow of businessman Syed Ahmed Khan (alias Fateh Khan) in Sultanwas, the militants started patrolling the streets and roads with no signs of law-enforcement personnel. Led by Fateh Mohammad, the militants were asking local people, particularly youngsters, to join them in their campaign to enforce Sharia. They have established checkposts on roads and are searching all passing vehicles. They have virtually established their writ in Buner region, once a stronghold of the Awami National Party.
A Taliban commander said they would set up strict Islamic sharia courts in Buner as they have already done in Swat, but would not interfere with police work. ‘The Taliban who have arrived from Swat have increased patrolling, banned music in public transport and rampaged (through the) offices of NGOs and taken their vehicles,’ local government official Rashid Khan said. ‘We will soon establish our radio station. Our Qazis (Islamic judges) will also start holding courts in Buner soon,’ Taliban commander Mohammad Khalil told AFP. ‘People in their dozens have come to invite us’ to extend sharia. ‘The Taliban will leave Buner after enforcement of Islamic justice system,’ he said.
However, several residents said they felt ‘scared’ and planned to leave the Buner area, fearing similar violence to that in Swat. On Tuesday, armed groups entered the Rural Health Centre at Jure in Salarzai area and took away a Land-Cruiser being used by the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), Buner. On April 17, they raided a basic health unit in tehsil Chamla and looted 480 cans of edible oil. They took away from the house of a lady health visitor a large number of food and nutrition packets supplied by USAID and sewing machines from an Action Aid-sponsored vocational centre in the Korea village of tehsil Chamla. On April 18, they looted a huge quantity of medicine from a health facility at the Afghan refugee camp in Koga in the same tehsil and 640 cans of edible oil from a godown of the World Food Programme in Nawagai.
Buner judges stop presiding over courts
(The News, April 23, 2009)
Providing credence to the apprehensions of some political parties and civil society organisations, the Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) on Wednesday said that Ulema would be the Qazis (judges) of the Darul Qaza and only they would have administrative control over the Malakand judiciary. Meanwhile, Sufi Muhammad told a delegation that those who called the Supreme Court and high courts “Sharai†were rebels against Islam. The organisation categorically said they would not accept superior courts’ judges as Qazis of the Darul Qaza. Interestingly, the TNSM has recommended the names of three Ulema to the government for Qazis of the Darul Qaza…The TNSM spokesman, while claiming not to have gone through the copy of The Nizam-e-Adl Regulation (NAR) yet, said they would not accept the Darul-Darul Qaza, but the Darul Qaza would be the final court… Amir Izzat said that all candidates for the posts of Qazis would be interviewed, appointed or rejected by Maulana Sufi Muhammad. “Sufi Muhammad will determine their Sharai knowledge and if he finds any candidate below the standard, he will not be appointed,†he said. Regarding the transfer of Qazis, he said once a Qazi was appointed in Malakand division, he could not be transferred outside the division. He added that transfer of judge from the rest of Pakistan to the Malakand division would also not be accepted.
It was learnt that judges in the Taliban-controlled Buner district stopped working and shifted the official record. Apparently, the decision was taken after growing control and strength of Taliban in the district. The judges were asked by PHC, it was learnt, not to attend the courts till May 2.
Sufi might have been a little ‘Kafir’ too: Munawar
(The News, April 23, 2009)
Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Munawar Hassan has said that Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammad chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad had once contested elections of local councillor and won it and therefore might have been a little ‘Kafir’ (infidel) too. Talking to newsmen in Lahore after meeting a delegation of Khaksar Tehrik led by Hameeduddin Al-Mashriqi, he said that the 1973 Constitution was a consensus document having the support of all ulema of the country. Therefore, Sufi Muhammad should consult the ulema and elders before passing edicts.Swat Taliban promote ‘love marriages’
(The News, April 19, 2009)
The Taliban of Swat have set up a bureau named ‘Shuba-e-Aroosat’ for arranging love marriages of couples who are denied the marriage of choice by their families for one reason or the other, reports BBC Urdu Service. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said the marriage bureau headed by Taliban Commander Abu Ammad arranged 11 ‘love marriages’ in the last nine days while 300 girls and boys are waiting for their turn. “The love marriage aspirants contact the bureau on a fixed telephone number. The Taliban collect their particulars and then contact their familites to arrange these choice marriages,†he said, adding that Islam allows every adult to get marry according to his/her own choice. He said, “Most of the girls, or their families, who contacted us wish to marry ‘militant’ Taliban.†Analysts say the Taliban are paving the way for themselves to marry the girls of their choice. It is really strange that they flog the couples on one hand for moving together while on the other hand allow young couples to marry according to their choice. Also the question arises how is it possible for a boy or girl to propose while they have not seen each other, reports BBC Urdu Service.
Haven’t posted here in a very long time. Pleased to see that things are going well.
India needs to be looked at. Who else has warm ties with Afghanistan, especially the leadership ranks of Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah and others of the “Northern Alliance” and non-Pashtun entities.
Russia needs to be looked at. Kruschev said Pakistan was the target. Putin is an ex-KGB man. The idea of Russians now arming the mujahideen ought not to surprise anyone. Ultimately they would want revenge too.
The U.S. needs to be looked at. If supply lines & munitions are extending from inside Afghanistan to Pakistan and the US controls Afghanistan, then what exactly are they doing over there?
Where does a group of rag-tag mountain men get the bullets needed to stand up to the Paksitani army?
Ah, let us not forget the Pakistani army. They have perfectly starched uniforms and the loveliest golf courses. Its justified of course, since they are the one’s standing between Pakistan and the abyss, or so they’ve been telling us for the last several decades. Meanwhile, they have never won a war; they lost the will to fight in East Pakistan; they appear to be doing something along those lines in Balochistan; and they just can’t stand up to these Talibs? Is this some kind of joke?
The latest assessments seem suddenly quite plausible: the govnerment of Pakistan will control the urban centers and these Taliban will control the rural areas.
The myth of the professional army has been shattered, and has been replaced with the myth of invincible Pathan mountain men, who can withstand anything. It is too surreal to believe, and just to sad to ponder. But, it’s Friday so there are parties to attend to in Lahore and Karachi, complete with full bars and Gucci gowns. The booze may some day hold the Taliban back while the glitterati of Pakistan escape to London, Dubai or why not even Mumbai? My mind says give up – just stop worrying about this country. I wish my heart would go along with it.
I still can’t belive there are some still blaming India for those, try connecting these points and see how Pakistan arrived here,
-India/Kashmir centric policy lead to maintain 7th larges army in the world,
-Army which ruled most part of the independent pakistan, terrorised pakistani people with India phobia simply to secure it’s own job
-same army first supported jihad and now seems to undo the same
for a change adopt pakistan first policy and start taking some responsbility
We are heading towards the situation of 71 where guys in the Capital did not pay attention the main issue and we lost a part of Pakistan. Today Balochistan and NWFP is burning which means 50% of Pakistan is at risk and enemies have been working on 2011 plan to divide Pakistan on ethnic basis and our local innocent elite class is being part of it. As I was talking about involvement of non-Taliban forces like India,afghans and others to destabilize Pakistan, the corrupt advisor Rahman Malik claims that India’s involvement has been found with documented proof. Ref:
http://tinyurl.com/malik-india
as usual the “enlightened” paper Dawn continue to kiss up. Dawn which hardly makes any research while giving reports about FATA crisis ask govt to make research.. as we all know that our so called Elite class consider India and Israel more closer to them then Pakistanis themselves and I often witness it on various forums including this one. Ref:
http://tinyurl.com/kissing-up
and it strengthens further when Hillary advise us to stop worrying about Indians as they are our friend in bed hence will not harm us.
http://tinyurl.com/hillary-india
we as Pakistanis will continue to be part of hype and Khudana Khwasta a day will come when we would be mourning about splitting of Pakistan into several pieces because losers can only whine and mourn. They can’t seek truth and work upon it
I am glad that you are keeping thsi issue up and reminding us all of just how dangerous these Taliban terrorists are. We absolutely have to control them.
Dear Adil,
I am fan of your writings but I have to admit that recently I have started to see less and less of substance in your postings and more of hue and cry, at times a little aimless. I’ve higher expectations from you in terms of analysis and possible solutions. Glad to see that even Sec. Clinton and the rest of the US administration is taking a closer look at the cause and effect of this mess, for example here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adrkt22b0p0