“While confirming the presence of hundreds of foreign militants in Pakistani tribal areas, the prime minister of Pakistan has lodged an FIR against the tribal region bordering Afghanistan,” these were the views of a female schoolteacher Shaheena, who usually does not read newspapers, but was shattered with this statement of the prime minister when she heard it during a talk show on a private TV channel.
Talking to Weekly Pulse by telephone, she said, “When our rulers are issuing such statement, we should not object the actions of Nato forces in the tribal belt.” The prime minister had said, “Due to the presence of foreign militants in tribal region, the incidents of 9/11 could once again happened in any part of the country and this time it would happen through the tribal belt of Pakistan.”
The claims of Nato and Afghan forces seem to be true after the statement of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Afghan government always accused Pakistani tribal areas where militants crossed into Afghanistan and attacked Nato and Afghan forces and facilitates resistant forces in Afghanistan. The allegations have not been taken serious any time in past as it was a routine matter for Afghan government to blame Pakistan for any problem it faced on their land.
But, the statement of Prime Minister Gilani has literally given strength to the charges of the Afghan government, which they usually hurled against the Pakistani government. Ms Shaheena, who is a teacher at a private school in a posh locality of Peshawar, also pointed a finger towards the recent statement of Inspector General of Police NWFP, Malik Mohammad Naveed in which he described, “Peshawar can fall to Taliban at any time.”
“The fear and panic aroused among the people of the city after the statement flashed in the newspaper. If such a high profile government officials, who also happened to be commander of a force, admits that “Taliban are knocking at the door of Peshawar”, what would be the feeling of a common man, who is already affected mentally and socially due to the lawlessness in the province, she asked.
“My sole feeling is this, government is intentionally propagating such sensation either to invite the US and other forces to come to the tribal areas of NWFP or to justify the foreign aid, which is meant to control the tribal areas, for flushing out the foreign militants and al-Qaeda operatives and to develop the region, the female teacher added.
She went on to say, “Since the declaration of IGP that Peshawar can fall to Taliban, the usual talk in the school is, how to leave this country and how to save the coming generations. There is a general feeling that there is no one except Allah to protect their lives and property. People have completely lost trust over the government and its law enforcement agencies.”
The prime minister, who recently visited Peshawar and addressed a tribal gathering at Governor’s House, made an impassionate appeal to the tribal elders of South Waziristan to support the government in its endeavours to curb extremism and terrorism. He seeks tribesmen help to flush militants out of the region.
With such demands and requests, one must thought how he issued statement of presence of hundreds of foreign militants in tribal region. There is a general feeling that accusations and charges framed against the Pakistani government of keeping foreign militants in tribal belt by the US and Afghan government is always an excuse to pressurize the Pakistani government and its intelligence agencies. But, one cannot understand the same statement by the prime minister of the country.
The latest in district Hangu, where government had launched a massive operation against the militants, who have kidnapped many government servants during the last two months, the activists on Friday last released 8 abducted government officials out of 29 and decided to sincerely review behaviour of the NWFP government.
Earlier, the spokesman of Baituallah Mehsud had given a deadline to the NWFP government to resign as it has completely failed, otherwise the militants would launch an operation against the government.
Mufti Syed Jahan, a leader of the peace jirga in district Hangu told media that efforts are underway for release of remaining abducted government officials. Sub division officer Telephone department, two employees of Water and Power Development Authority, Police personnel and four others including a businessman were among the released.
The jirga leader expressed the hope that the NWFP government would respond wholeheartedly followed by the goodwill gesture of Taliban and talks with Taliban would continue.
Following the statement of the prime minister, reports of build-up of US-led forces in eastern Afghan provinces along the border with Waziristan have increased the apprehensions of a possible encounter with the local militants.
Locals complained that the troops, backed by gunship helicopters had been moved close to the border village of Ghulam Khan in Waziristan, Shawal, Mir Saffar, Zhawar and Lawara. However, a Pakistani military spokes person denied there was any unusual troops movement along the border.
Observers believe that it is because of the same statement of Prime Minister Gilani that Afghan and Nato forces feel a chance to gear-up their activities against Pakistan.
The prime minister, who is more of a powerless head of the country, always issued policy statement after it’s dictated from the Zardari House. One has no idea, whether it was the mind of Mr Gilani or someone else. But, whoever is he, the statement was not in the favour of the country, as everyone believes we do not have any more foreign militants in the tribal region except very few, who are always on the run and sometime lives in the border area of Pakistan and sometime in Afghanistan. A person with such a responsible post should be very careful while issuing a statement, even if it is on behalf of someone.