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.
You can’t say that you haven’t been warned about what is happening.
Just yesterday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the insurgency posed a “mortal threat” to world security. Speaking to a Congress committee, Mrs Clinton said the Pakistani government was “basically abdicating to the Taleban and the extremists”.
How long do you think before you are failed state like Afghanistan (that
It seems that I am reading a news about somewhere in Africa. But unfortunately, this is about Pakistan.
Why is General Kayani doing this to Pakistan? Pakistan is his country and he should be loyal to his nation, but he’s not. Just because he’s an Islamic Extremist, does not mean that he has to support these taliban and give them a free hand.
President Zardari should fire General Kayani from being the Army chief. We need a patriotic Army Chief, not a traitor.
Let us do a little analysis. Hilary Clinton has declared Pakistan to be a state at the brink of collapse. A mortal danger for the world. Indian have shown their true colours recently. Even China is getting tired of Pakistan. Israel has also declared Pakistan a major threat. In the meantime, the leadership of the country is entangled in power struggles and deciding the ridiculous numbers of federal ministers to appoint. Baluch nationalist have acquired a legitimate voice for the first time, thanks to the “breaking news” hungry media.
Our news and discussion programmes are riddled with the words “saazish”, “mansooba”, “bairooni haath” etc. Most of the politicians agree that the americans want an end to Pakistan. But my question is.. What will take place of the God forbid “dismissed” Pakistan? If there is a conspiracy then they must have a plan in place. Who is going to move in to take control of the nuclear assets? What will happen to the highly professional and recently blooded Pakistan army? And where will the Taliban go after the plan has been executed? Taliban, is the wrong name applied to the Swat, Buner hooligans. Most of them never went to a madrassah.
I have a good understanding of how religious hooliganism works. In Pakistan, similar groups have been in action since the Zia era. Sipah Sahaba, Jaish e Muhammad etc. were considered hardline militant groups, led by mad mullahs. Most of their recruits though were petty criminals. Their lives were hardly islamic in any sense. Almost all of their terrorists were bandits, murderers and guns for hire. This culture has been exported from the heart of Punjab and Sindh to the frontier. And I do not disagree if a foriegn hand is involved in their funding. Counter insurgency has been popular in our region and seems to work very effectively. But, in order for a counter insurgency to work, a legitimate grievance has to be there in the first place. Kashmir and a number of eastern indian provinces were easy pickings for Pakistani agencies. Baluchistan and now Swat hold the same promise for India. But these exchanges will never cause annihilation of a whole country. Both countries are too diverse for that to happen. Americans, on the other hand always have a puppet government ready to take over. I can’t see anyone who will fill the vaccum once Pakistan disintegrates. Maybe that is why Pakistan is so dangerous. If it falls, religious parties, who thrive on disorder and mischief will be in an ideal situation to rule Pakistan. Such groups have support in all provinces. A Jamaat Islami, JUI, Taliban coalition government, sympathetic to Taliban is not impossible. In this situation, I can not see the state of Pakistan breaking up. There are no viable options for the separatists at this moment. But I fear that the people may find a cause to keep Pakistan united under a religious administration.
I am pro-democracy, but I am afraid Pakistan is not ready for democracy yet (again!!). Look at the present government. Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari are the key players. I would have been more sure about Pakistan if Elmo and Big bird were to rule our country. American puppets, but far more intelligent and honest. I have heard good things about Gen. Kayani. I sincerely hope he take over this year. We have to fight the battle against religious hooliganism at all costs. And army is the only option left. I also think that 1973 constituion should be revised once the army takes over again. All the amendments which have mauled a perfectly good piece of work should be removed and then we should wait until americans finish their business in Afghanistan.
The hooligans are making good use of the dire economy of the country. Americans are responsible for the currect state of afairs but Pakistani people should accept their own hand in all this. We have to decide whether we want Jinnah’s Pakistan or someone else’s. If it is Jinnah’s Pakistan, then it should be secular, progressive and educated Pakistan. The other option is Maudoodi’s Pakistan. Which is a theocratic ruin unable to survive a major international conflict for more than a week perhaps.
So please remember, Pakistan faces conspiracies and suffers from “bairooni” interference. But most dangerous conspiracies are being hatched from within. Any ideology, any political view in conflict with Jinnah’s Pakistan is more dangerous to our existance than CIA, RAW, MOSSAD combined.
Is it time yet for expats to start funding nationalist groups so they can arm themselves and prepare to fight these Taliban with weapons? Is civil war on? If we have to, to protect the country, I am ready with my cheque book.