NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, while strongly condemning the unprovoked attack by the coalition forces on the border security posts within Pakistani territory in Mohmand Agency, described it as “naked aggression”. Both have expressed concern over the martyrdom of 13 people including a major, 10 FC jawans and two civilians.
The governor and the chief minister said that the coalition forces not only crossed into the Pakistani territory to attack the border posts, but also violated the Pakistani air space, adding that such aggression would never be tolerated.
The pre-dawn attack by Nato forces on Pakistani check post set up in Chopara on the strategic heights of Soran Darra in Mohmand tribal agency on June 11 was widely condemned both by the government of Pakistan and Pakistan Army. This was for the first time after dozens of cross border attacks by Nato and Afghan forces, Pakistani government reacted straightaway without making the lame excuses of (probing the matter first or owning the attack).
The US army has clamed that Pakistan was informed before making an attack and this claim has been released by the US army in Kabul. The attack came just five days after Pakistan’s high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi along with Adviser on Home Affairs Rehman Malik returned after talking to the Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Rangin in the 4th meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations held in Kabul.
Ironically, on his return from Kabul, some unwelcome statements came from Rehman Malik. In one of his statement on Monday last, he said the government had scrapped its peace deal with the Taliban as militants have reneged on their promises to stop violence. He said: “The Swat agreement is scrapped as the militants have continued their attacks on security forces.”
Reacting to the statement of Rehman Malik, senior minister in the NWFP government, Bashir Ahmad Bilour said peace deal between the NWFP government and Swat Taliban was still intact. He said the federal government, Asif Ali Zardari and the COAS had been consulted before the agreement was signed and the federal government should consult the NWFP government about problems related to truce instead of making irresponsible statements.
It merits a mention here that this was the second time that Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik has become a bone of contention between the federal and provincial government of NWFP as earlier, Mr Malik was the person, who tried to manipulate the dates of by-polls by asking the NWFP government to request the Election Commission of Pakistan to delay the by-poll due to the bad law and order situation in the province. He told Chief Minister Amir Hyder Khan Hoti that other three provinces were also making requests to the Election Commission for delay in the by-poll election. Later, it was disclosed that none of the provinces other than the NWFP had made request and Mr Malik wanted his target by using the government of the NWFP.
His recent statement about scrapping the peace agreement with Taliban was so sensitive that an announcement by a Taliban spokesman has literally shocked the people.
Taliban will turn cities of settled areas into battlefields if the government scraps its truce with them, a private TV channel reported Tehrik-i-Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar as saying. Talking to the channel, he said the Taliban had signed the truce with the NWFP government after “careful consideration” and that they would adopt a “new course of action” after Rehman Malik’s statement that the truce had been scrapped.
Meanwhile, on the same day of the statement of Rehman Malik, Sufi Mohammad leader of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) survived a remote control bomb initiated by local Taliban in the NWFP. Four policemen were injured but Sufi Mohammad luckily escaped unhurt. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility with spokesman Maulvi Omar saying that the incident was in retaliation to the killing of local Taliban in Tank and Bajaur. He said the attack had not targeted Sufi Mohammad.
One can understand the state of mind of the Taliban. They reacted so quickly that Rehman Malik cannot imagine. His irresponsible statement could have created problems for the NWFP government if that had not been countered well in time.
The US statement that its military operation which killed 11 Pakistani soldiers was first coordinated with Pakistan, has created more doubts about Rehman Malik. Observers believe that his statement against the truce between the NWFP government and Taliban and brutal attack by Nato forces on Pakistani checkpost where they claimed the presence of Taliban on the fifth day of his return from Kabul, clearly indicates that he is toeing the US policy of not negotiating with the Taliban.
One should be very clear about the ground realities. It must be in the notice of every sane person that before the formation of the present government, suicide bomb blasts in the country had become a routine matter. There was hardly a day when there was no news of a blast. After the new government in the country and with a slight change in policy towards the war, such activities have been curtailed. Everyone knows that US is not happy with such policy. But, instead of following US directives, one should go after the ground realities. Everyone is expected that Mr Malik whose “previous services” for the country cannot be overlooked, will undertake the present situation as a true Pakistani and a good Muslim. For controlling the cross border violation, a clear-cut policy is the need of the hour.
Mr Malik, who is holding a very responsible post in the government, should realize the state of mind of the people in tribal belt as well in Frontier province, who have been affected by one way or the other due to the polices of the previous government.