There is a saying of Holy Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him), “kill the evil before it spreads out its tentacle.”

Unfortunately our rulers always went against this. Some two years back, when militants started blowing video centres and hair saloons in Darra Adam Khel, 30 kilometres south of Peshawar, no action was taken, instead the affected people were asked to pack up their business and the government refused to provide them security. Slowly, the Peshawarites witnessed a day to day blasts in CD centres, and at snooker and video games centre. That too left without any significant notice.
BBC reported that the so-called war on terror, which started on June 26, 2002 from tribal region of South Waziristan, at last reached Peshawar after a period of five yeas. Those foreigners, who were earlier blamed for spreading insurgency and for the attacks against the government by creating law and order situation in the region are presently behind the curtain.

Pakistani Taliban, who recently formed Pakistani Taliban Tehreek, are now in the forefront against the Pakistani security forces.

Militants, who came to Darra Adam Khel, famed for its arms manufacturing market, from Waziristan region after having been pushed out by the security forces and local elders after various agreements between the government and Wazir tribe at the end of 2005, had announced their rule in the area some two months back and started collecting road tax from all commercial vehicles plying between Peshawar and Kohat and then the rest of the country through Indus Highway.

Scores of people from a particular sect were beheaded by the same militants after clashes in Kurram Agency.

Instead of launching massive and stern action against them, many religious scholars and some Taliban leaders in Waziristan were approached to negotiate with them. This weak approach had encouraged them and they refused to packup from Darra Adam Khel, and instead established more pickets and took positions at the hilltops. Traffic between Peshawar-Kohat roads remained suspended for many days and the highway opened only after the government silently accepted a few of their demands.

Observers believe that it was high time for the government to take action and root them out of the town. But, once again the compassionate attitude of the government resulted in the benefit of these militants.

Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, former interior minister and head of his own faction of Pakistan People’s Party, told foreign media that the entire Frontier province was coming under the influence of militants and extremists. The ex-minister, who recently left the high profile job was asked by the interviewer as to why didn’t you take action against the militants in the nearby town of Peshawar, he said “we negotiated with them and settled the matter”.

This time too, when unidentified men fled with the four weapon-laden army trucks from Darra Adam Khel on Thursday last, the government had started negotiating with them and got involved into talks local community leaders like Amanullah, Malik Suleman Shah and Malik Sher Ahmad. The government even brought religious leaders like Maulana Sher Ali of Darul Aloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak and Maulana Sher Bahadur with a request to use their good offices and prevail upon the Taliban to return the trucks. Taliban commander Maulvi Omar refused to return the trucks and crew and demanded of the government to withdraw the forces from the area as the area was physically under their control.
According to a report, the captured drivers were shown in Darra bazaar with their faces black, which ultimately forced the government to initiate an action against them.

On the first day of the clashes between the security forces and the militants at least 28 militants were killed. On the second day, there was a ceasefire for some time when the mediators became involved with both the government and the militants to settle the issue. The fire once again broke up when some militants tried to blow up a convoy of paramilitary forces near Spina police station on Kohat Road.

The two-kilometre friendship tunnel, which built with the help of Japanese government to facilitate the pedestrians plying between Peshawar and Kohat was also captured by the militants. According to a report, they had parked a truck loaded with explosives in the middle of the tunnel to blow it up in case of some serious situation. But, after hectic two days clashes, forces managed to take back the control of the tunnel.

The security forces were also put on alert in Peshawar and Kohat following reports of possible suicide bombing in the cantonment areas. The residents of the besieged town have been asked by the security forces that non-combatant tribesmen should hoist white flags on their rooftops to avert collateral damage. Thousands of residents shifted from Darra to Peshawar and Kohat areas. The Indus highway remained blocked and traffic was diverted to the Kohat-Rawalpindi Road.

The political agent of the frontier region of Kohat, Kamran Zeb, said he was optimistic that the fighting would end soon and the matter of the snatched trucks would be settled without further bloodshed. According to reports so far, 62 militants have been killed with three casualties from the security agencies side.

The political agent said he still believed that fighting was not the solution, adding that innocent people were suffering because of the operation, which had been launched mainly because of the rigid attitude of the militants.

It merits a mention here that five people including a woman were killed on Monday, when rockets were fired at a vehicle outside Darra bazaar from either side. Neither the militants nor the security forces have taken the responsibility of the wrongly fired rocket which took the lives of innocent people.

Director-General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Athar Abbas on Monday claimed that the troops were in full control in Darra Adam Khel and the adjoining mountains. Besides, the friendship tunnel is also under control and will take some time to be opened for the general public.
On Tuesday despite claims of DG ISPR of taking control of the troubled area, curfew remained clamped in Darra bazaar and adjacent areas and residents have been asked to shift to the nearby Afghan refugee camp.