fatman17
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Second Editorial: The journey home
“Experts” who said it would take 10 years to pacify Malakand and send the displaced persons back home will be surprised by the speed with which the terrorists of Fazlullah have retreated in the face of the first resolute military action against them. The refugees have started going back; and, despite the negative glance of the media, more have returned than were expected to on the first day. Expect more negative coverage after they get home and face the unavoidable hardship of resettlement. In fact the tough part of the job is going to begin now.
As a very competent General Nadeem Ahmad of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) said on TV, he had made arrangements for over 2,000 families to leave the camp on Monday, but more than that number actually made it to their homes. The police escorted the families leaving the Jalozai camp and Chief Minister Haider Khan Hoti escorted the ones leaving the Charsadda camp. Two million people had to be looked after amid scenes of extreme disorganisation but when the final verdict is in from the international community, the effort will be lauded. People still complain that they did not get the Rs 25,000 grant promised by the government to each family. But in the end most things will slowly fall in place.
There are still areas in Dir where Fazlullah’s men are present in pockets but General Nadeem’s plea that the administrative machinery laid down in the rest of Malakand is capable of looking after the population must be heeded too. People don’t want to live under the Taliban again; but their plight in the refugee camps in Pakistan’s hot summer was also a kind of attrition that could have defeated the military operation. President Asif Zardari is already anticipating the difficulties of rehabilitation in his appeals to the international community, while the PPP government is strapped for cash, can’t pay for its imports and for the electricity made for it by the IPPs. The world has promised to help but finally it is all Pakistan’s own battle to win. The first phase is sucessfully over. *
http://www.thedailytimes.com.pk
---------- Post added at 11:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------
Lashkar kills 23 Taliban in Mohmand clashes
* Three villagers missing after gunbattle
* Security forces kill 9 Taliban, arrest eight others in Swat
GHALANAI/KHAR/ RAWALPINDI: A tribal lashkar killed 23 Taliban during clashes in the Kohimoor area of Ambaar tehsil in Mohmand Agency on Tuesday.
Syed Ahmad Jan, a senior regional administrator, told the Associated Press that local tribal militia had asked the Taliban to leave the area on Monday. The Taliban refused, sparking a gunbattle that continued until Tuesday morning, he added. Four lashkar members were wounded in the fight, while 20 men were killed. Three Taliban were arrested, but one of them committed suicide while the other two were executed by the lashkar.
Another administration official, Muhammad Rasul Khan, told AFP three villagers were missing after the clashes. “The laskhar fought very well and the Taliban are on the run,” he added.
Nine killed: Separately, the Inter-Services Public Relations revealed that security forces had killed nine Taliban and arrested eight others during search operations throughout Swat in the past 24 hours. Sources claimed 60 Taliban had been arrested at Qandharo in Safi tehsil.
mukarram khan/agencies
“Experts” who said it would take 10 years to pacify Malakand and send the displaced persons back home will be surprised by the speed with which the terrorists of Fazlullah have retreated in the face of the first resolute military action against them. The refugees have started going back; and, despite the negative glance of the media, more have returned than were expected to on the first day. Expect more negative coverage after they get home and face the unavoidable hardship of resettlement. In fact the tough part of the job is going to begin now.
As a very competent General Nadeem Ahmad of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) said on TV, he had made arrangements for over 2,000 families to leave the camp on Monday, but more than that number actually made it to their homes. The police escorted the families leaving the Jalozai camp and Chief Minister Haider Khan Hoti escorted the ones leaving the Charsadda camp. Two million people had to be looked after amid scenes of extreme disorganisation but when the final verdict is in from the international community, the effort will be lauded. People still complain that they did not get the Rs 25,000 grant promised by the government to each family. But in the end most things will slowly fall in place.
There are still areas in Dir where Fazlullah’s men are present in pockets but General Nadeem’s plea that the administrative machinery laid down in the rest of Malakand is capable of looking after the population must be heeded too. People don’t want to live under the Taliban again; but their plight in the refugee camps in Pakistan’s hot summer was also a kind of attrition that could have defeated the military operation. President Asif Zardari is already anticipating the difficulties of rehabilitation in his appeals to the international community, while the PPP government is strapped for cash, can’t pay for its imports and for the electricity made for it by the IPPs. The world has promised to help but finally it is all Pakistan’s own battle to win. The first phase is sucessfully over. *
http://www.thedailytimes.com.pk
---------- Post added at 11:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------
Lashkar kills 23 Taliban in Mohmand clashes
* Three villagers missing after gunbattle
* Security forces kill 9 Taliban, arrest eight others in Swat
GHALANAI/KHAR/ RAWALPINDI: A tribal lashkar killed 23 Taliban during clashes in the Kohimoor area of Ambaar tehsil in Mohmand Agency on Tuesday.
Syed Ahmad Jan, a senior regional administrator, told the Associated Press that local tribal militia had asked the Taliban to leave the area on Monday. The Taliban refused, sparking a gunbattle that continued until Tuesday morning, he added. Four lashkar members were wounded in the fight, while 20 men were killed. Three Taliban were arrested, but one of them committed suicide while the other two were executed by the lashkar.
Another administration official, Muhammad Rasul Khan, told AFP three villagers were missing after the clashes. “The laskhar fought very well and the Taliban are on the run,” he added.
Nine killed: Separately, the Inter-Services Public Relations revealed that security forces had killed nine Taliban and arrested eight others during search operations throughout Swat in the past 24 hours. Sources claimed 60 Taliban had been arrested at Qandharo in Safi tehsil.
mukarram khan/agencies