Recent clashes between security forces and pro-Taliban militants in Mohmand tribal agency give a clear signal of militants getting strengthened in yet another tribal agency where they are challenging the writ of the government. Taliban have been maintaining check posts in different areas of the Mohmand agency since long. Local and international media had published news on a number of times, warning the government to stop the threat before it reflected the Waziristan-like situation, but to no avail.
Taliban Spokesman in Pakistan Maulvi Omar told a foreign news agency last week that “we will not stop our fight until the government withdraws forces and ends operation in tribal regions and district Swat.” He spoke to the news agency after Taliban militants in Mohmand agency killed seven soldiers and captured 17 others in Qandharu region of the area. Major General Waheed Arshad told the media that the militants attacked a security forces convoy and the forces responded with the help of the local people, killing 23 of the attackers. He said it was the first significant attack in Mohmand tribal agency.
“This is all due to our negligence. When militants started threatening the forces at their check posts, we did not take it seriously. Slowly, they got strengthened and now they have started attacking the check posts and convoy of the forces,” said an official of FATA secretariat in Peshawar.
Requesting anonymity, he told Weekly Pulse that when incidents of challenging the security forces started in the area, the matter was reported to the federal government and permission sought for action. “We were told to concentrate on those areas where Americans are interested. Despite repeated warnings and even after the siege of Haji Sahib Tarangzai shrine by militants in the backdrop of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) operation in Islamabad, we were not allowed to take action against trouble makers. The present situation in the area is only because government always turns a deaf ear towards such important issues,” the official added.
Presently, people of Mohmand agency are migrating to adjacent areas because of the fear of massive operation against the militants. Schools, hospitals and government offices in the troubled areas have been lying closed for many days. The political administration is engaged in jirgas and parleys with elders, whereas clashes between the security forces and the militants are becoming a routine matter like that of Waziristan.
Reports from Mohmand Agency say most of the hardened criminals, who were earlier active in the rest of the troubled tribal areas, have now shifted to Mohmand and adjacent Bajur agencies during the last few months. Their movement from other areas to Mohmand agency shows that there was no resistance from government side and Taliban were free to do whatever they wanted.
There are reports that a major aid to insurgents in Swat District was provided by the militants who took shelter in Mohmand agency. They had the weapons and ammunitions, which they easily shifted from tribal area to Swat through mountain ranges.
Observers believe that timely action against uprising in Mohamand agency could have avoided insurgency in district Swat. There were reports some time back that some most sought after criminals had moved from Southern districts of NWFP to Mohmand agency as they considered it a safe haven they could easily operate from.
Life of the common man is as miserable as the lives of those in Waziristan, who are facing day to day operation against militants and losing their near and dear ones. Residents perceived that in the coming days there would be same situation as that of Waziristan. Law and order would be worsening with each passing day and operation against the militants would cost the lives of many innocent people.
It is now a fact that Pakistani Taliban form an effective fighting force. They can plan and fight against any security force as they have simultaneously engaged Pakistani security forces as well as NATO forces alongside the border line. Recently, the militants had taken the control of Darra Adam Khel, some 25 kilometers South of Peshawar. They remained there for over a month and took control of all the government installations. Each passing vehicle was checked by their comrades and even taxes were paid to them by the drivers of the commercial vehicles. They had a free hand for many weeks; no action was taken against them, and instead a delegation of government officers was sent there to negotiate them. That, too, became possible only after a senior Taliban commander was convinced to hold negotiations.
Majority in Peshawar holds the view that Taliban are behind day to day blasts at CD centers and video games and snooker shops in the city as well as adjacent areas. If law-enforcing agencies wanted to catch the masterminds behind such acts of terrorism, it was not so difficult. One can easily spot outsiders wearing long hair and joggers outside different mosques in the city as well as in suburb. In such a situation, it is the prime duty of the law-enforcing agencies to keep a vigil on such elements. It is believed that if they were asked to leave the areas, they can create more trouble for the government. That is why the police stations concerned have closed their eyes and left people at the mercy of militants.