Monday, April 27, 2009

Taliban Forcefully Conscript Buner Youth

ISLAMABAD, April 26: The government announced on Sunday that the Swat peace deal would not be affected by the operation launched by the Frontier Corps in cooperation with the army in Lower Dir. Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik said 30 militants and some security personnel had been killed in the operation.

“The operation has nothing to do with Swat. It is being launched in Dir area against increasing militancy there,” Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said.

He said the government would adhere to the agreement which did not allow an operation in Swat. However, he hinted that if militants did not lay down arms after the enforcement of ‘Sharia laws’ in Swat, the security operation could be extended to other areas, including the valley.

On the other hand, the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s spokesman Muslim Khan said Taliban would not lay down weapons unless all Americans in Pakistan returned to their country and Darul Qaza was established in Swat. He said the Darul Qaza could order the Taliban to disarm.

In reply to a question, the interior secretary said: “They (Taliban) have left Buner.”

However, there were reports that while returning to Swat, Taliban had taken some young men from Buner along with them for militant training. Interior Adviser Rehman Malik appealed to parents to keep their children away from suspicious people in Swat, Buner and other districts where Taliban were present.

Read it all here.

No comments: