Thousands flee Taliban terror in Pakistan

Christians and Sikhs in their thousands have flet the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan where an ongoing conflict between Taliban terrorists and the Pakistani military now rages.

By Aftab Mughal

Tens of thousands of people, including Christians and Sikhs, have left four districts, Swat, Buner, Shangla and Lower Dir, of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) where Pakistani military has started an operation, a week ago, against Taliban, who had been challenging the writ of the state and were controlling the area by force for more than two years, and had imposed their self styled Sharian law. They had been beheading people, kidnapping women and destroying schools and government building.

On May 9, about 60 Christian families reached Rasalpur, near Peshawar, provincial capital. They confirmed that the Taliban ordered women of the area including Christian and Sikh women to cover their faces otherwise their would be punished.

Till now, around 2000 Sikhs, including women and children, reached to their holiest place in Pakistan, Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Punjab province. The government’s Evacuation Board is spending every day about Rs. 25,000 (US$312) for their food and shelter. These people have been living in the area for more than 60 years. When military started its operation against Taliban, asked people to leave the area as soon as possible but it was not easy for people to move any safer place without any proper transportation system. As a result, many walked for days to reach to Mardan and Swabi where the government has set refugee camps. Thousands are still waiting for their registration as refugee to get food and shelter. During the last 2 years, the government started 3 operations, at different times, in Swat valley. When the operation was about to succeed the government started negotiation with Taliban. Therefore, after each operation the Taliban become stronger.

According to the government’s estimates, there are 4000/5000 militants in the area. To rot them out, 15000 military men are taking part in the operation. So far 700 militants have been killed, according to the military sources. There are reports that along with the militants about 40 civilians were also killed in the cross firing. Iftikhar Hussain, provincial information minister said that the Taliban are using the civilian population as human shield.

Approximately 300,000 people have left their homes from which 120,000 are registered and living in the refugee camps while more than 200,000 have been staying with their friends and relatives. There is fear that about 1 million people could be displaced within days. The new displaced people are an addition to 555,000 previously displaced Pakistani who fled from other parts of the tribal areas of NWFP since August 2008. Though, generally, the government has got a national support for its operation against Taliban, the Islamic parties and Imran Khan, a former cricketer and head of a very small party which has no presence in the parliament, are openly opposing the operation. During a TV discussion Khan called Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a well-known Pakistani intellectual who opposes Taliban, an American agent. The pro-Taliban parties blame that the government has started operation against its own people just to please America. They still consider India as a major threat and not Taliban. The Jamiat-e-Islamai is organizing protest rallies with a very small number of demonstrators to oppose the operation. However, this time, the Pakistani army has launched a ‘full-scale’ operation against Taliban in Swat valley and its adjacent districts but many analysts are raising questions about its ability to defeat Taliban, who were created by the state agencies and considered as a strategic assert. Aftab

Mughal is the editor of Minorities Concern of Pakistan.