Senator Saleh Shah of South Waziristan has claimed that ceasefire between the security forces and militants in Waziristan region was imminent and parleys in this regard would be held to end the ongoing situation in the area and rest of the country.
According to a private TV channel Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud expressed his intention to Senator Saleh Shah to hold parleys with government officials as presently the government had tightened the noose around the militant chief hiding in South Waziristan tribal agency.
Mehsud was accused by the government and the American intelligence agency CIA of masterminding attack on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27 in Rawalpindi.
According to the channel, Baitullah Mehsud said: “ He is ready to talk to the government to end the ongoing Taliban attacks on the army, government personnel and installations only if the former is ready to release detained Taliban.” The channel has quoted some senior government officials, who are in touch with the militant leader through some political and religious personalities of the region.
Some mediapersons in South Waziristan told weekly Pulse that Taliban leader has realized that he is now being trapped by the security agencies in the area. “Either he will be shot or arrested in a few days, which is the sole reason that he is issuing peace-making statements,” a senior correspondent of an English daily said.
It merits a mention here that the security forces some days back got control of the restive Darra Adam Khel, some 35 kilometres south of Peshawar, as well as the Friendship Tunnel, which was under the control of the militants for the last few weeks. Though the improvement in the situation came after a US missile strike reportedly killed an Al-Qaeda leader Abu-Lait-Al-Libbi in South Waziristan, which according to government sources reduced the moral of the once inflexible Taliban leaders in the region.
Though the local administration in South Waziristan claimed that they are not in touch with anyone to negotiate with the Taliban leader, Baitullah, but a local elder told weekly Pulse, on condition of anonymity, that both were negotiating terms and conditions to once again sign truce in the area. “Sooner of later, a formula of understanding will be signed between the both,” he added, saying some religious leaders and parliamentarians are involved in the negotiations.
However, Director-General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told mediapersons that he was unaware of any such development with Baitullah Mehsud.
The residents, who recently reached Peshawar from South Waziristan due to the suspected massive operation by the government to catch or kill the militants commander, told weekly Pulse that both sides, (government and militants) wanted truce to bring calm in the area. Many militants have now understood that they are fighting for the cause of someone else. This fight is neither for Islam nor for any sacred cause, but it serves the cause of someone, who is getting the benefit out of it.
These locals have also confirmed that for the last many days, there is complete lull at the militants’ hideouts and checkposts of security forces. It has been understood by everyone that negotiations will soon be started between both sides; however the government has not so far formally announced the names and timeframe of the talks.
Observers said people, worried due to the increasing Talibanisation, took a sigh of relief after hearing the news of ceasefire in the region and starting of negotiations between the two sides.
Law and order situation in Darra Adam Khel, where security forces launched an operation against the militants on January 24, is under control. The Friendship Tunnel, which received a colossal damage when militants explode trucks filled with explosives inside it, is still closed for traffic and will take a month to be rebuilt.
According to Khawaja Nayyar Qayyum, the tunnel was damaged during the recent clashes between the security forces and militants and it will be operational after a month’s time.
“The growth of militants in Darra Adam Khel and adjacent areas did not materialize overnight,” as was said by a senior bureaucrat from the NWFP, who has a close eye on the day to day developments in the tribal belt, bordering Afghanistan. According to him, the build-up of militants in Darra Adam Khel and adjacent areas took a year and during all this period, none of the security agencies or concerned government departments paid attention towards this development. During the last few months, these militants had taken control of the main road of Darra Adam Khel, which links Peshawar with the southern districts. They used to take road tax from the commercial vehicles and even started beheading members of a particular sect by disembarking them from vehicles. Most of these militants came from Waziristan region and according to a resident of Darra Adam Khel, many local criminals have also joined them to fight against the security forces.
After the operation, when security forces took over the control of the area, it was surprising to see the sophisticated arms and ammunition. Journalists were surprised to see that some of the weapons were made in China, while others had labels written in Arabic and Pushto.
Locals believed that though military has taken control of the area, the militants were still hiding in parts of Darra Adam Khel and nearby mountains, gaining strength and if the flushing-out process is stopped without capturing them, very soon the government and residents would face a similar situation in a few weeks.
