Swat Taliban have fled to Karachi, South Waziristan
* Security officials say terrorists may set up command and control structure in Karachi to gain foothold in countrys financial hub
By Iqbal Khattak
MINGORA: A large number of terrorists in Swat have fled to Karachi and South Waziristan to escape the military operation in Malakand division, military commanders and militants families said on Friday.
I think these militants have fled to Karachi and Waziristan, Operation Commander Major General Ashfaq Nadeem told Daily Times in an interview.
Nadeem said intelligence agencies were on the hunt for these suspected terrorists in Karachi and some of them had already been arrested.
It is because Karachi is a big city and it is not easy to find someone so easily. Secondly, you can find shelter among fellow Pashtuns who number in tens of thousands, said a man in Matta tehsil, whose militant relative was traced in Karachi.
Command structure: Security officials in Peshawar said the Swat Taliban, loyal to Fazlullah, were being hunted in Karachi where they might set up a command and control structure to gain a foothold in the countrys financial hub.
Some signs of the Swat Taliban have already been seen in Karachi and the security personnel are working on these leads to arrest them, officials said.
The security situation in Swat has improved significantly after the Taliban fled the area after military operation.
A female teacher in Mingora said she knew a Taliban commander whose father had sent his son to Saudi Arabia.
This commander was known by the name of Hussain Ahmed and was the in charge of the Rahimabad sector. His father is an affluent man and he helped Hussain escape to Saudi Arabia, the teacher said.
The military launched the operation in Malakand division after the Taliban, who earlier signed an agreement with the government to impose sharia law in the division and remain confined to Swat, violated the agreement and entered Buner, just over 100 miles away from Islamabad.