Baitullah Mehsud, chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) asked the NWFP government to either quit the government within five days or face the consequences. The spokesperson of the TTP, Maulvi Omar while quoting Baitullah Mehsud told the reporters by telephone in Bajaur Agency that the NWFP government was not sincere about restoring peace and held it responsible for the lawlessness in the tribal areas and Swat and Hangu districts.
Maulvi Omar said, “We reserved the right to take action against the provincial government, if it did not resign in five days. The NWFP government is a powerless entity and we would not hold talks with a weak government.”
While reacting to the threat of Baitullah Mehsud, Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain said, “people had given the government a mandate for five years.”
“This is just nonsense and we know from where they are getting direction,” the provincial minister said, adding the statement of Baitullah Mehsud was regrettable. He said that the government would not step down, nor would it follow the order of a person or a group.
Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) said that the militant organisations have become so powerful that they can take over any part of the country any moment, creating a latent risk to its unity. He said this while addressing the oath taking ceremony of Dera Press Club. Maulana said, “The writ of the government had completely vanished in many areas and the strike in the tribal area was a conflict of interest among tribal groups, which is needed to be controlled.”
The Taliban spokesperson in Swat, Haji Muslim Khan has once again threatened the provincial government that the peace process in the district would collapse, if troops were not pulled out. He demanded immediate release of the arrested Taliban. Maulvi Omar, another spokesperson of Taliban has also threatened the government to immediately stop the operation in Hangu, otherwise the captured 24 government officials would be killed one-by-one.
Due to the recent wave of threats by the Taliban and fear of suicide attacks, law enforcement personnel have directed important government officials and the provincial ministers to arrange only indoor ceremonies and meetings. Sources said that in the provincial Home Department, law enforcement agencies had mailed letters to all provincial ministers directing them to be aware of any terrorists disguised as lawyers, beggars or rally participants. In this regard District Coordination Officer (DCO) Peshawar has been asked to convene a meeting of district nazim, Peshawar and senior police officials to chalk out a strategy.
Observers believed that Taliban had taken the peace efforts of the provincial government as if the government is weak and could not face them. The statements issued by the provincial government that it would not end peace process with the Taliban despite their threats, is also giving strength to Taliban as they seem to consider that the government is not in a position to end the peace process with them. “This has given further boost to the activities of Taliban in the tribal and some of the settled areas,” observers believe.
Government is also under pressure with reports of build-up of US-led forces in Eastern Afghan provinces alongside the border with North and South Waziristan agencies. “In such a situation, we have no other option then to negotiate with all the forces who are engaged in anti-government activities,” informed a senior government servant, who is recently posted in the provincial government to look after the tribal affairs.
He said that pressure from both the Pakistani Taliban, who are in contact with Afghan Taliban and Nato forces, which are fighting against the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan, has pressed the NWFP government to settle the situation at all possible cost. “This does not mean that we are weak, but we want to settle the issues,” the official informed.
The peace accords signed between the government of NWFP and Swat Taliban seems to be scrapped as neither Taliban nor the representatives of the government are honoring the accord. The provincial government made the mistake when it initiated the peace deal with Taliban without taking into confidence the coalition partners and the federal government.
Since the first day of initiating peace efforts, the provincial government presented itself as bending before the Taliban leadership. Taliban put forward their demands, which were followed and accepted by the government without knowing the results.
The provincial government had released many such militants, who were involved in kidnapping and killing of the government servants. There were incidents, which were also reported in the newspapers that in few cases government had literally begged the Taliban elders for the release of some senior government officials in district Swat and southern districts.
Their demands of packing up the check posts in Waziristan areas, stopping of the operation in different troubled areas, releasing the most wanted persons and vehicles and arms seized during the operations were accepted many a times since the present government took over.
Despite accepting so many demands in the past, the lawlessness, attacks on convoys of security forces, capturing of government vehicles and kidnapping government officials, blowing up girl’s schools and government buildings goes on.
In the latest situation, the provincial government of Awami National Party has been asked by the Taliban leadership to resign, as they are not satisfied with the efficiency of the government. This clearly indicates that from the very first day the policy of the government was not in the right direction. It had to consult all the stakeholders before going into negotiations with the militants in the tribal areas and Swat.
Still, there is time to control the situation in the province and the tribal areas, but it needs a proper consultation with those who have been dealing with the affairs since long. The observers believe that this may be the last effort, which direly needs sincerity.