Swat Operation II
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waraich66
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Anwar2,
Army basically played major role to make deal and should stay untill complete peace retored in all trouble areas.
For the information of our Indian friends, there is a sizeable population of Hindus and Sikhs in the Buner, Chamla and Barikot subdivisions of Swat. They have their businesses, mandirs and gurdwaras. Usually there is a Hindu / Sikh minister and member to the NWFP provincial assembly. They follow their own personal law; they are not subject to the Shariah laws.
They have never been harmed or harassed through the tumultuous period over the last three years. Taliban have been extra careful in protecting them.
Gayan Singh and P Khanna are their well known leaders
They have never been harmed or harassed through the tumultuous period over the last three years. Taliban have been extra careful in protecting them.
Gayan Singh and P Khanna are their well known leaders
Dear waraich66:
It depends on who the local commander is. Some have the guts, maturity and dexterity to stand up to pressures from the top and use their best judgment; they just don’t believe in fighting against their own people.
There are others like Gen. Iftikhar Hussein Shah who aggravated the situation on purpose to score with the Americans.
It depends on who the local commander is. Some have the guts, maturity and dexterity to stand up to pressures from the top and use their best judgment; they just don’t believe in fighting against their own people.
There are others like Gen. Iftikhar Hussein Shah who aggravated the situation on purpose to score with the Americans.
muse
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For the information of our Islamist friends, a sizable population of Swatis lives in NY -- wtf:
Date:18/02/2009 URL: The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : From Pakistan, Taliban threats reach New York
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Pakistan, Taliban threats reach New York
Kirk Semple
Pakistani immigrants from Swat Valley say some of their families are being singled out for threats, kidnapping and even murder by Taliban forces.
The fate of the Swat Valley dominates conversation among the Swati immigrants in the U.S. The picture shows displaced Pakistanis arriving in a secure area of the troubled Swat Valley.
Last June, Bakht Bilind Khan, who was living in the Bronx and working at a fast-food restaurant, returned to his village in the volatile Swat Valley of northern Pakistan to visit his wife and seven children for the first time in three years. But during a dinner celebration with his family, his homecoming suddenly turned dark: several heavily armed Taliban fighters wearing masks appeared at the door, accused Khan of being an American spy and kidnapped him.
During two weeks of captivity in a nearby mountain range, Khan says, he was interrogated repeatedly about his wealth, property and mission in the United States. He was released in exchange for an $8,000 ransom. His family, threatened with death if it did not leave the region, is now hiding elsewhere in Pakistan.
Our Swat, our paradise, is burning now, said Khan, 55, who returned to the U.S. and is working at a fast-food restaurant in Albany, trying to reimburse the friends and relatives who paid his ransom.
Pakistani immigrants from the Swat Valley, where the Taliban has been battling Pakistani security forces since 2007, say some of their families are being singled out for threats, kidnapping and even murder by Taliban forces, who view them as potential American collaborators and lucrative sources of ransom. Some immigrants also say they have been threatened in the U.S. by the Taliban or its sympathisers, and some say they have been attacked or kidnapped when they have returned home.
The threats have brought an added dimension of suffering for the immigrants, who say fresh reports of hardship arrive in New York every day, sometimes several times a day, and spread quickly among the several thousand Swati immigrants in the region: families driven from their villages, houses being destroyed, relatives disappearing. The fate of the valley dominates conversation among the exiles.
Its 24/7, said Zakrya Khan, 30, owner of two gyro restaurants in New York whose staff of 15 is almost entirely Swati. This is their only concern now.
Though every community of exiles from a conflict-ridden country suffers when relatives who remain behind are caught in the fight, the immigrants from Swat also bear the burden of believing that their presence in America is endangering their relatives back home, where the Taliban has imposed its authority over much of the region.
More than that, Swati immigrants say they have been left with the sense that the more they try to help their families back home, the more harm they may do, an excruciating dilemma that has filled many with a combination of helplessness, fear, sadness and guilt.
If they speak out, they fear, it could lead to retribution for them or their relatives in Pakistan. Some exiles who have participated in anti-Taliban political demonstrations or agitated in support of Swat residents say they and their families have come under pressure as a result of these activities. And few dare leave the U.S. for fear of losing the single largest income stream their families have.
The Pakistan government announced on Monday that it had struck a tentative deal with the Taliban amid a 10-day ceasefire to establish Islamic law in the region and suspend military operations there.
But some Swati immigrants said they were sceptical the deal would hold two other accords in the last six months failed and they were bracing for a resumption of violence.
Before the start of the Talibans incursion into the region in 2007, Swat was treasured as a vacation spot, particularly among Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group in the region. Known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, it has snowy peaks, fruit orchards, lakes and flower-covered meadows. But the tourism industry has evaporated amid the Talibans uprising, and by some estimates, hundreds of thousands of residents have abandoned their homes, fleeing for Mingora or other regions of Pakistan.
Immigrants have been coming from the Swat Valley for years, well before it became a front in the war between the Taliban and Pakistani troops. There are an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people from the Swat Valley in the U.S., about half of whom live in the New York metropolitan region, said Taj Akbar Khan, president of the Khyber Society USA, a Pakistani charitable and cultural organisation.
Many Swatis suspect that the Taliban has spies among them, and that insecurity mirrors the rampant mistrust in the valley where many residents fear the Pakistani security forces almost as much as the Taliban and do not know whom to trust. Perhaps with the help of state-side sympathisers, the Taliban has been adept at tracking the flow of money from the U.S. and has turned to kidnapping recipients of the money with the goal of securing hefty ransoms, the exiles say.
Ajab, owner of a fried chicken shop in Paterson, said the Taliban kidnapped a brother-in-law last year near the familys village in the Swat Valley. During 75 days of captivity, the Taliban fighters told the brother-in-law that one of the reasons they had kidnapped him was that he had relatives in the U.S., including Ajab. The fighters released him after the family paid a $20,000 ransom. We are sad that because of us, our relatives are getting into trouble, said Ajab, 51, who spoke only on the condition that his last name not be published to protect his familys identity.
Not all of the violence visited upon the families of exiles has been due to the exiles presence in the U.S. But the difficulty of watching it at such a remove has been no less agonising. Leaving behind his family in Swat, Jihanzada came to the U.S. in 2001 to earn money to build his dream house back home and to pay for the future weddings of his five children. He did numerous menial jobs in Boston and New York.
Everything I earned I sent back home, he said in an interview last week at a fast-food restaurant in Brooklyn where he works. He, too, spoke on the condition that he not be fully identified for fear of alerting the Taliban to his presence in the U.S. If they knew I was here, they would definitely harm my family, he said.
The house was completed early last year; Jihanzada still has not seen it: he has not returned to Pakistan since he left eight years ago. But during fighting last summer between the Taliban and the Pakistani security forces, a bomb dropped by Pakistani aircraft demolished the house. Jihanzadas family had evacuated before the fighting began and are now living in Mingora. His eldest daughters wedding was postponed.
Jihanzada, who said he could not return to Pakistan because he had an asylum petition pending, received photographs of the destruction soon after the attack. Asked how he felt when he first saw the photographs, he dropped his head, concealing his face behind the brim of his brown restaurant cap and trying to stem a surge of sadness.
Finally, he continued: This is every Pashtuns dream: You earn, you build a home, your children grow up in it and when you get old you go and sit at home and enjoy life. Im sad because my struggles start again."
(Majeed Babar contributed reporting.)
New York Times News Service
Date:18/02/2009 URL: The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : From Pakistan, Taliban threats reach New York
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Pakistan, Taliban threats reach New York
Kirk Semple
Pakistani immigrants from Swat Valley say some of their families are being singled out for threats, kidnapping and even murder by Taliban forces.
The fate of the Swat Valley dominates conversation among the Swati immigrants in the U.S. The picture shows displaced Pakistanis arriving in a secure area of the troubled Swat Valley.
Last June, Bakht Bilind Khan, who was living in the Bronx and working at a fast-food restaurant, returned to his village in the volatile Swat Valley of northern Pakistan to visit his wife and seven children for the first time in three years. But during a dinner celebration with his family, his homecoming suddenly turned dark: several heavily armed Taliban fighters wearing masks appeared at the door, accused Khan of being an American spy and kidnapped him.
During two weeks of captivity in a nearby mountain range, Khan says, he was interrogated repeatedly about his wealth, property and mission in the United States. He was released in exchange for an $8,000 ransom. His family, threatened with death if it did not leave the region, is now hiding elsewhere in Pakistan.
Our Swat, our paradise, is burning now, said Khan, 55, who returned to the U.S. and is working at a fast-food restaurant in Albany, trying to reimburse the friends and relatives who paid his ransom.
Pakistani immigrants from the Swat Valley, where the Taliban has been battling Pakistani security forces since 2007, say some of their families are being singled out for threats, kidnapping and even murder by Taliban forces, who view them as potential American collaborators and lucrative sources of ransom. Some immigrants also say they have been threatened in the U.S. by the Taliban or its sympathisers, and some say they have been attacked or kidnapped when they have returned home.
The threats have brought an added dimension of suffering for the immigrants, who say fresh reports of hardship arrive in New York every day, sometimes several times a day, and spread quickly among the several thousand Swati immigrants in the region: families driven from their villages, houses being destroyed, relatives disappearing. The fate of the valley dominates conversation among the exiles.
Its 24/7, said Zakrya Khan, 30, owner of two gyro restaurants in New York whose staff of 15 is almost entirely Swati. This is their only concern now.
Though every community of exiles from a conflict-ridden country suffers when relatives who remain behind are caught in the fight, the immigrants from Swat also bear the burden of believing that their presence in America is endangering their relatives back home, where the Taliban has imposed its authority over much of the region.
More than that, Swati immigrants say they have been left with the sense that the more they try to help their families back home, the more harm they may do, an excruciating dilemma that has filled many with a combination of helplessness, fear, sadness and guilt.
If they speak out, they fear, it could lead to retribution for them or their relatives in Pakistan. Some exiles who have participated in anti-Taliban political demonstrations or agitated in support of Swat residents say they and their families have come under pressure as a result of these activities. And few dare leave the U.S. for fear of losing the single largest income stream their families have.
The Pakistan government announced on Monday that it had struck a tentative deal with the Taliban amid a 10-day ceasefire to establish Islamic law in the region and suspend military operations there.
But some Swati immigrants said they were sceptical the deal would hold two other accords in the last six months failed and they were bracing for a resumption of violence.
Before the start of the Talibans incursion into the region in 2007, Swat was treasured as a vacation spot, particularly among Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group in the region. Known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, it has snowy peaks, fruit orchards, lakes and flower-covered meadows. But the tourism industry has evaporated amid the Talibans uprising, and by some estimates, hundreds of thousands of residents have abandoned their homes, fleeing for Mingora or other regions of Pakistan.
Immigrants have been coming from the Swat Valley for years, well before it became a front in the war between the Taliban and Pakistani troops. There are an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people from the Swat Valley in the U.S., about half of whom live in the New York metropolitan region, said Taj Akbar Khan, president of the Khyber Society USA, a Pakistani charitable and cultural organisation.
Many Swatis suspect that the Taliban has spies among them, and that insecurity mirrors the rampant mistrust in the valley where many residents fear the Pakistani security forces almost as much as the Taliban and do not know whom to trust. Perhaps with the help of state-side sympathisers, the Taliban has been adept at tracking the flow of money from the U.S. and has turned to kidnapping recipients of the money with the goal of securing hefty ransoms, the exiles say.
Ajab, owner of a fried chicken shop in Paterson, said the Taliban kidnapped a brother-in-law last year near the familys village in the Swat Valley. During 75 days of captivity, the Taliban fighters told the brother-in-law that one of the reasons they had kidnapped him was that he had relatives in the U.S., including Ajab. The fighters released him after the family paid a $20,000 ransom. We are sad that because of us, our relatives are getting into trouble, said Ajab, 51, who spoke only on the condition that his last name not be published to protect his familys identity.
Not all of the violence visited upon the families of exiles has been due to the exiles presence in the U.S. But the difficulty of watching it at such a remove has been no less agonising. Leaving behind his family in Swat, Jihanzada came to the U.S. in 2001 to earn money to build his dream house back home and to pay for the future weddings of his five children. He did numerous menial jobs in Boston and New York.
Everything I earned I sent back home, he said in an interview last week at a fast-food restaurant in Brooklyn where he works. He, too, spoke on the condition that he not be fully identified for fear of alerting the Taliban to his presence in the U.S. If they knew I was here, they would definitely harm my family, he said.
The house was completed early last year; Jihanzada still has not seen it: he has not returned to Pakistan since he left eight years ago. But during fighting last summer between the Taliban and the Pakistani security forces, a bomb dropped by Pakistani aircraft demolished the house. Jihanzadas family had evacuated before the fighting began and are now living in Mingora. His eldest daughters wedding was postponed.
Jihanzada, who said he could not return to Pakistan because he had an asylum petition pending, received photographs of the destruction soon after the attack. Asked how he felt when he first saw the photographs, he dropped his head, concealing his face behind the brim of his brown restaurant cap and trying to stem a surge of sadness.
Finally, he continued: This is every Pashtuns dream: You earn, you build a home, your children grow up in it and when you get old you go and sit at home and enjoy life. Im sad because my struggles start again."
(Majeed Babar contributed reporting.)
New York Times News Service
ejaz007
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TNSM delegation leaves for Matta
Updated at: 1315 PST, Wednesday, February 18, 2009
SWAT: Tahrik-e-Nifaz Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) Peace March led by its chief, Maulana Sufi Muhammad left for Matta on Wednesday where he would meet Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Maulana Fazlullah.
Sources said that a large number of people on foot and riding vehicles thronged for the Peace March and expressed their urge for the much-needed peace in troubled Swat valley.
Earlier, Senior NWFP minister Bashir Bilour had an important meeting with Maulana Sufi Muhammad, both Bilour and TNSM chief reiterated in the meeting that efforts for the restoration of peace would continue.
Meanwhile, Maulana Sufi Muhammad said that he would return from Swat only after having achieved the target for which he has come to Swat. He said that the Peace March aims at ending the environment of fear and harassment.
Maulana said that the struggle for Shariat has taken a big leap forward and hoped that peace in the entire country would be restored with the enforcement of Sharia laws.
TNSM delegation leaves for Matta
Updated at: 1315 PST, Wednesday, February 18, 2009
SWAT: Tahrik-e-Nifaz Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) Peace March led by its chief, Maulana Sufi Muhammad left for Matta on Wednesday where he would meet Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Maulana Fazlullah.
Sources said that a large number of people on foot and riding vehicles thronged for the Peace March and expressed their urge for the much-needed peace in troubled Swat valley.
Earlier, Senior NWFP minister Bashir Bilour had an important meeting with Maulana Sufi Muhammad, both Bilour and TNSM chief reiterated in the meeting that efforts for the restoration of peace would continue.
Meanwhile, Maulana Sufi Muhammad said that he would return from Swat only after having achieved the target for which he has come to Swat. He said that the Peace March aims at ending the environment of fear and harassment.
Maulana said that the struggle for Shariat has taken a big leap forward and hoped that peace in the entire country would be restored with the enforcement of Sharia laws.
TNSM delegation leaves for Matta
waraich66
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muse,
You are painting picture based on media on sided stories, no one is ready to make up mind one sided stories .You will see lot of rumors in near future ,as long PA is in support of Sufi Muhammad and local MPA,MNA and local pushtoon tribes there is chances of sucess in this peace deal.
So please dont throw oil on fire , wait and see ,still negotiations continued , there is chance peace will be restored in FATA also.
Only US agents and spies should be worried from peace in NWFP ,if you are patriotic pakistani you should be glad on this satuation.
Enough is enough we dont want more war in our grounds.
Regards,
You are painting picture based on media on sided stories, no one is ready to make up mind one sided stories .You will see lot of rumors in near future ,as long PA is in support of Sufi Muhammad and local MPA,MNA and local pushtoon tribes there is chances of sucess in this peace deal.
So please dont throw oil on fire , wait and see ,still negotiations continued , there is chance peace will be restored in FATA also.
Only US agents and spies should be worried from peace in NWFP ,if you are patriotic pakistani you should be glad on this satuation.
Enough is enough we dont want more war in our grounds.
Regards,
ajpirzada
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apparently there were many discussion bw president, pm, army chief and DG ISI before the decision was made. so its not lik decision was made all of a sudden only bec provincial gov said so. im sure all the pros and cons have already been studied
ajpirzada
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Indian agents to be wiped out from Swat
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The NWFP administration and Maulana Sufi Muhammad would immediately move to wipe out the RAW elements and criminals from the Malakand division as the government had sufficient evidence of Indian involvement in the Swat lawlessness, a source told The News.
The key NWFP government source, who has been involved in the successful negotiations between Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and the ANP government, further revealed that it was agreed in the talks that all the closed schools in the area would be reopened, the Army would not be withdrawn and the police would be redeployed at all the police stations to ensure the writ of the government.
The source said the RAW elements and criminals had been involved in kidnapping for ransom, dacoities and blackmailing in the troubled areas of Swat. “We have even caught the RAW agents, both alive and dead,” the source said.
The source held the RAW agents and local criminals responsible for most of the crimes in the area, saying they were also involved in attacks on military targets. With the inking of the peace agreement between Maulana Sufi Muhammad and the provincial government, the source said, these elements would be cornered immediately and wiped out to make Swat crime free as it once used to be.
Dispelling the impression that the Taliban would be running the show in the Malakand division following the Monday’s agreement, the source said Maulana Sufi Muhammad, in return for the acceptance of the longstanding demand of enforcing the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, had asked for the introduction of a strong administrative system in the area to ensure the writ of the government.
The Maulana has demanded of the appointment of clean, strong, impartial policemen and civilian administration officials in the area to ensure that the signed agreement is implemented in letter and spirit.
The system of district magistracy is likely to be introduced in Swat immediately for which the governor would have to de-notify a 2002 notification.The executive officers are also expected to be entrusted with the kind of powers previously enjoyed by the Nawabs and the Walis in the area.
A committee comprising MPs of the area, elders, representatives of the local administration and the TNSM would be set up to review and monitor the implementation of the agreement. As agreed between the two sides, Maulana Sufi Muhammad would visit Swat and start addressing rallies soon after the agreement gets implemented.
The Maulana would personally help the redeployment of police personnel at the police stations, which were abandoned during the recent weeks and months because of growing influence of the Taliban there.
He would also mobilise the people to bring peace in the area and flush out all the unwanted elements. Maulana Sufi Muhammad did not ask for the withdrawal of the Army from the area during the negotiations, the source said, adding that he had rather given his consent for the presence of the Army in the Malakand-Swat areas till the time the government desired so.
The source said those in the government, who had played a pivotal role in making possible what was announced on Monday, included ANP Secretary Information Zahid Khan, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Minister for Livestock Haji Hidayatullah and Hazara Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed.
Indian agents to be wiped out from Swat
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The NWFP administration and Maulana Sufi Muhammad would immediately move to wipe out the RAW elements and criminals from the Malakand division as the government had sufficient evidence of Indian involvement in the Swat lawlessness, a source told The News.
The key NWFP government source, who has been involved in the successful negotiations between Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and the ANP government, further revealed that it was agreed in the talks that all the closed schools in the area would be reopened, the Army would not be withdrawn and the police would be redeployed at all the police stations to ensure the writ of the government.
The source said the RAW elements and criminals had been involved in kidnapping for ransom, dacoities and blackmailing in the troubled areas of Swat. “We have even caught the RAW agents, both alive and dead,” the source said.
The source held the RAW agents and local criminals responsible for most of the crimes in the area, saying they were also involved in attacks on military targets. With the inking of the peace agreement between Maulana Sufi Muhammad and the provincial government, the source said, these elements would be cornered immediately and wiped out to make Swat crime free as it once used to be.
Dispelling the impression that the Taliban would be running the show in the Malakand division following the Monday’s agreement, the source said Maulana Sufi Muhammad, in return for the acceptance of the longstanding demand of enforcing the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, had asked for the introduction of a strong administrative system in the area to ensure the writ of the government.
The Maulana has demanded of the appointment of clean, strong, impartial policemen and civilian administration officials in the area to ensure that the signed agreement is implemented in letter and spirit.
The system of district magistracy is likely to be introduced in Swat immediately for which the governor would have to de-notify a 2002 notification.The executive officers are also expected to be entrusted with the kind of powers previously enjoyed by the Nawabs and the Walis in the area.
A committee comprising MPs of the area, elders, representatives of the local administration and the TNSM would be set up to review and monitor the implementation of the agreement. As agreed between the two sides, Maulana Sufi Muhammad would visit Swat and start addressing rallies soon after the agreement gets implemented.
The Maulana would personally help the redeployment of police personnel at the police stations, which were abandoned during the recent weeks and months because of growing influence of the Taliban there.
He would also mobilise the people to bring peace in the area and flush out all the unwanted elements. Maulana Sufi Muhammad did not ask for the withdrawal of the Army from the area during the negotiations, the source said, adding that he had rather given his consent for the presence of the Army in the Malakand-Swat areas till the time the government desired so.
The source said those in the government, who had played a pivotal role in making possible what was announced on Monday, included ANP Secretary Information Zahid Khan, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Minister for Livestock Haji Hidayatullah and Hazara Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed.
Indian agents to be wiped out from Swat
ajpirzada
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Displaced people eager to go back
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Khalid Iqbal
Rawalpindi
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) temporarily staying in the city distributed sweets, biscuits and other food items to express their happiness over the Swat Peace Agreement.
Emotional scenes were seen among displaced families after the Swat Peace Agreement. They embraced one another to express their joy over the development. Several women of displaced families had tears of joy in their eyes when they listen to the news. They started praying for peace and stability in the tribal belt. Many people were seen watching TV in hotels and other places to know the development in troubled areas after the peace agreement between the government and militants.
Around 10 families packed up their bags for Swat on Tuesday after the announcement of ceasefire. Four displaced families, living near Rawat, returned to Matta, three families living near the Railway Carriage Factory, Pirwadhai, went back to Mingora and three families residing in Dhoke Jhang near Adiala Jail returned to Swat, ‘The News’ learnt.
While talking to ‘The News’ Tuesday, members of some displaced families said that they heaved a sigh of relief and they were happy over the announcement of ceasefire and Nizam-e-Adl regulation.
Anwar Khan Hoti from Malakand, living near Railway Carriage Factory, said that the peace agreement between the NWFP government and
militants is a positive development and President Asif Ali Zardari should sign the agreement for its full enforcement. They hoped that life would return to normal in the troubled areas and bazaars and schools in Swat would open.
Bacha Khan Swati from Swat, living near Rawat, said that he was very happy to see on TV that people were going to bazaars and some children were going to school. He said that his family would return to their hometown if peace prevails for a long time there.
Nadia Marwat, whose family was shifting to Swat, said that she was eager to attend her school. She was in class 5 but discontinued her studies due to unrest in her hometown. She prayed for permanent peace in the troubled areas so that she could pursue her studies and become a doctor.
Malang Khan, who was returning to Swat, said that he would re-establish his general store which was destroyed in the fighting.
Displaced people eager to go back
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Khalid Iqbal
Rawalpindi
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) temporarily staying in the city distributed sweets, biscuits and other food items to express their happiness over the Swat Peace Agreement.
Emotional scenes were seen among displaced families after the Swat Peace Agreement. They embraced one another to express their joy over the development. Several women of displaced families had tears of joy in their eyes when they listen to the news. They started praying for peace and stability in the tribal belt. Many people were seen watching TV in hotels and other places to know the development in troubled areas after the peace agreement between the government and militants.
Around 10 families packed up their bags for Swat on Tuesday after the announcement of ceasefire. Four displaced families, living near Rawat, returned to Matta, three families living near the Railway Carriage Factory, Pirwadhai, went back to Mingora and three families residing in Dhoke Jhang near Adiala Jail returned to Swat, ‘The News’ learnt.
While talking to ‘The News’ Tuesday, members of some displaced families said that they heaved a sigh of relief and they were happy over the announcement of ceasefire and Nizam-e-Adl regulation.
Anwar Khan Hoti from Malakand, living near Railway Carriage Factory, said that the peace agreement between the NWFP government and
militants is a positive development and President Asif Ali Zardari should sign the agreement for its full enforcement. They hoped that life would return to normal in the troubled areas and bazaars and schools in Swat would open.
Bacha Khan Swati from Swat, living near Rawat, said that he was very happy to see on TV that people were going to bazaars and some children were going to school. He said that his family would return to their hometown if peace prevails for a long time there.
Nadia Marwat, whose family was shifting to Swat, said that she was eager to attend her school. She was in class 5 but discontinued her studies due to unrest in her hometown. She prayed for permanent peace in the troubled areas so that she could pursue her studies and become a doctor.
Malang Khan, who was returning to Swat, said that he would re-establish his general store which was destroyed in the fighting.
Displaced people eager to go back
ejaz007
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The News, Geo staffer killed in the line of duty
Thursday, February 19, 2009
President, PM, others condemn incident, order inquiry
By Delawar Jan
PESHAWAR: As Maulana Sufi Muhammads peace rally, comprising hundreds of activists, entered the Matta Tehsil to talk to the militants for restoring peace in Swat, some unknown persons shot dead a young journalist and correspondent for The News and Geo News in Mingora.
Musa Khankhel was accompanying the caravan of the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) from Mingora to Matta to cover the crucial event that had created high hopes for peace in the valley. His young brother Isa Khankhel, who is also a journalist, told The News that he was in the line of his journalistic duty when some unknown persons kidnapped him at gunpoint.
Musa was picked up at gunpoint from the rally, Isa said, adding he had no idea who the perpetrators of the brutal killing were. A local journalist, Mehboob Ali, said other journalists returned from Matta town, but Musa preferred to stay there. He was trying to get some information about the negotiations between the TNSM and the Taliban militants, he added. However, Mehboob said it could not be ascertained as to who was accompanying the slain journalist. Nobody saw him when he was being kidnapped, so it cannot be said who picked him up, he added.
Musas bullet-riddled body was found in Dedpanai area, some four kilometres off Matta town, in the evening. ìHe received 12 bullets at feet, hands and head, his brother told The News by telephone while weeping.
Musa was the fourth journalist killed in the valley. Sirajuddin was killed in a suicide bomb blast during the funeral of a slain DSP in Mingora in Feb 2008, while another journalist, Azizuddin, was killed in bombardment in Peuchar.
A reporter of a local newspaper, Qari Muhammad Shoaib, was gunned down by the security forces in Mingora when he was returning home from hospital.The government has been issuing statements of bringing the perpetrators of journalists killing to justice just to soothe the community. Its assurances have proven false and not a single killer of the journalists has so far been arrested, let alone giving them exemplary punishment.
The killing of the journalist not only eclipsed the hopes for peace but also shocked and saddened the journalist community across the country. Musa had been receiving threats for the last several months but he had refused to bow to any pressure. His family said he was manhandled and intimidated several times. I have been receiving death threats from a powerful force. They are after me. They want to kill me, he had communicated his apprehensions to his organisation. His organisation also took up the issue of threats with the authorities from whom he was allegedly receiving the threats.
On Wednesday morning, he and his brother Isa were not allowed to cover the press conference of the NWFP Senior Minister Bashir Bilour at the Circuit House, which he instantly communicated to his office.
Inspector-General Police, NWFP, Malik Naveed, told Geo News that some foreign hand could be involved in the killing of Musa. Musa was born on Feb 4, 1981 in Mingora. He started work for The News several years ago while got associated with Geo News on May 21, 2007. He was single and had five brothers and three sisters.
The slain journalist was a brave reporter who continued his journalistic duty in the valley of death during escalated conflict and violence and faced all dangers fearlessly for the more than 20 months of turmoil. He did not leave Swat and preferred to inform Geos viewers and The News readers about the happenings in the valley.
His colleagues in the valley brought his body to Makanbagh Chowk (square), and strongly protested his killing. They demanded of the government to bring the perpetrators of the heinous act to justice and provide security to other journalists. His funeral will be held at 2 pm in Mingora.
Our Islamabad correspondent adds: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers, journalist organisations and leaders of various political parties have strongly condemned the killing of Musa Khankhel and expressed their deep grief and shock over the tragic incident.
In their separate messages, the president and the prime minister conveyed their condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family. They prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
They have ordered an immediate inquiry into this tragic happening and asked the concerned authorities to take action to arrest and bring the culprits to justice. Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik and Federal Minister Sherry Rehman also condemned the murder of Geo and The News correspondent.
The adviser directed the inspector-general police, NWFP, to submit a detailed report on the murder.
Terming the killing an attack on the freedom of the press, Rehman Malik and Sherry Rehman reiterated the governments commitment to bring the culprits to justice and give them exemplary punishment.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and President National Peace Jirga on Swat Enam-ur-Rehman also condemned the brutal killing of the journalist and condoled with the bereaved family.
Also, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists condemned the incident and announced a countrywide protest against the killing of Musa Khankhel. The media organisations would stage demonstrations across the country today to press the government for the arrest of the culprits.
The News, Geo staffer killed in the line of duty
Thursday, February 19, 2009
President, PM, others condemn incident, order inquiry
By Delawar Jan
PESHAWAR: As Maulana Sufi Muhammads peace rally, comprising hundreds of activists, entered the Matta Tehsil to talk to the militants for restoring peace in Swat, some unknown persons shot dead a young journalist and correspondent for The News and Geo News in Mingora.
Musa Khankhel was accompanying the caravan of the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) from Mingora to Matta to cover the crucial event that had created high hopes for peace in the valley. His young brother Isa Khankhel, who is also a journalist, told The News that he was in the line of his journalistic duty when some unknown persons kidnapped him at gunpoint.
Musa was picked up at gunpoint from the rally, Isa said, adding he had no idea who the perpetrators of the brutal killing were. A local journalist, Mehboob Ali, said other journalists returned from Matta town, but Musa preferred to stay there. He was trying to get some information about the negotiations between the TNSM and the Taliban militants, he added. However, Mehboob said it could not be ascertained as to who was accompanying the slain journalist. Nobody saw him when he was being kidnapped, so it cannot be said who picked him up, he added.
Musas bullet-riddled body was found in Dedpanai area, some four kilometres off Matta town, in the evening. ìHe received 12 bullets at feet, hands and head, his brother told The News by telephone while weeping.
Musa was the fourth journalist killed in the valley. Sirajuddin was killed in a suicide bomb blast during the funeral of a slain DSP in Mingora in Feb 2008, while another journalist, Azizuddin, was killed in bombardment in Peuchar.
A reporter of a local newspaper, Qari Muhammad Shoaib, was gunned down by the security forces in Mingora when he was returning home from hospital.The government has been issuing statements of bringing the perpetrators of journalists killing to justice just to soothe the community. Its assurances have proven false and not a single killer of the journalists has so far been arrested, let alone giving them exemplary punishment.
The killing of the journalist not only eclipsed the hopes for peace but also shocked and saddened the journalist community across the country. Musa had been receiving threats for the last several months but he had refused to bow to any pressure. His family said he was manhandled and intimidated several times. I have been receiving death threats from a powerful force. They are after me. They want to kill me, he had communicated his apprehensions to his organisation. His organisation also took up the issue of threats with the authorities from whom he was allegedly receiving the threats.
On Wednesday morning, he and his brother Isa were not allowed to cover the press conference of the NWFP Senior Minister Bashir Bilour at the Circuit House, which he instantly communicated to his office.
Inspector-General Police, NWFP, Malik Naveed, told Geo News that some foreign hand could be involved in the killing of Musa. Musa was born on Feb 4, 1981 in Mingora. He started work for The News several years ago while got associated with Geo News on May 21, 2007. He was single and had five brothers and three sisters.
The slain journalist was a brave reporter who continued his journalistic duty in the valley of death during escalated conflict and violence and faced all dangers fearlessly for the more than 20 months of turmoil. He did not leave Swat and preferred to inform Geos viewers and The News readers about the happenings in the valley.
His colleagues in the valley brought his body to Makanbagh Chowk (square), and strongly protested his killing. They demanded of the government to bring the perpetrators of the heinous act to justice and provide security to other journalists. His funeral will be held at 2 pm in Mingora.
Our Islamabad correspondent adds: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers, journalist organisations and leaders of various political parties have strongly condemned the killing of Musa Khankhel and expressed their deep grief and shock over the tragic incident.
In their separate messages, the president and the prime minister conveyed their condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family. They prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
They have ordered an immediate inquiry into this tragic happening and asked the concerned authorities to take action to arrest and bring the culprits to justice. Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik and Federal Minister Sherry Rehman also condemned the murder of Geo and The News correspondent.
The adviser directed the inspector-general police, NWFP, to submit a detailed report on the murder.
Terming the killing an attack on the freedom of the press, Rehman Malik and Sherry Rehman reiterated the governments commitment to bring the culprits to justice and give them exemplary punishment.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and President National Peace Jirga on Swat Enam-ur-Rehman also condemned the brutal killing of the journalist and condoled with the bereaved family.
Also, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists condemned the incident and announced a countrywide protest against the killing of Musa Khankhel. The media organisations would stage demonstrations across the country today to press the government for the arrest of the culprits.
The News, Geo staffer killed in the line of duty
ejaz007
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Talks between Maulana Sufi, Taliban underway
Updated at: 1350 PST, Thursday, February 19, 2009
SWAT: The peace talks between Maulana Sufi Mohammad, Chief of the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Maulana Fazlullah for the restoration of peace in Swat have begun at undisclosed location in Matta.
The first round of talks was held between delegation of TNSM and Maulana Fazlullah. Sufi Mohammad did not take part in the meeting. He would likely participate in the second round.
On Tuesday, Maulana Sufi Mohammad in his address said that the purpose of his Swats visit is to restore peace in the area. He said peace is necessary for the implementation of Sharia.
Talks between Maulana Sufi, Taliban underway
Updated at: 1350 PST, Thursday, February 19, 2009
SWAT: The peace talks between Maulana Sufi Mohammad, Chief of the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Maulana Fazlullah for the restoration of peace in Swat have begun at undisclosed location in Matta.
The first round of talks was held between delegation of TNSM and Maulana Fazlullah. Sufi Mohammad did not take part in the meeting. He would likely participate in the second round.
On Tuesday, Maulana Sufi Mohammad in his address said that the purpose of his Swats visit is to restore peace in the area. He said peace is necessary for the implementation of Sharia.
Talks between Maulana Sufi, Taliban underway
Musa Khankhel's murder is a heinous and unforgivable crime. He was one amongst the select few brave journalists who covered Swat in the thick of an insurgency.
Our media has been pretty much shy of covering the Army operations in Swat and FATA. They follow the government policy of not glorifying "terrorists", and of dehumanizing the atrocities against the population.
Musa consistently broke away from the mold, and refused to be tamed. He paid the ultimate price. He is a true Shaheed, Allah bless his soul.
Our media has been pretty much shy of covering the Army operations in Swat and FATA. They follow the government policy of not glorifying "terrorists", and of dehumanizing the atrocities against the population.
Musa consistently broke away from the mold, and refused to be tamed. He paid the ultimate price. He is a true Shaheed, Allah bless his soul.
AgNoStiC MuSliM
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Quite true.
The Taliban should not be forgiven for it, just like they should not be forgiven for the countless other atrocites and 'heinous crimes' they have committed.
The souls of the victims of 'Butcher Square' and their families cry out for justice and vengeance against the Taliban terrorists responsible.
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