Deputy chief of Swat militants reiterates to continue ‘jihad’
Monday, March 09, 2009
by Our correspondent
MINGORA: Maulana Sufi Muhammad along with a large number of his black-turbaned activists forced Taliban fighters Sunday to end their blockade of the Takhtaband Road and open the bypass for traffic on a day when a convoy of the security forces carrying ration came under attack in a village known as militants’ stronghold in Swat.
The chief of the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) marched to Takhtaband-Engaro Dherai to remove checkpoints of the militants on bypass road - from Balogram to Takhtaband - and open the road for all kinds of traffic. The bypass road was closed for traffic due to checkpoints of the militants.
As a result of the move, the security forces deployed at an agriculture farm at Takhtaband also moved to the Frontier Constabulary (FC) camp in Kanju. The TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said after opening the bypass road, Sufi Muhammad would go to Qambar — an emerging stronghold of the militants from where they had been picking up government officials even after the peace accord — to remove Taliban checkposts and ensure unhindered movement.
Sufi Muhammad, who has been working for the return of peace to volatile Swat valley, had told both the security forces and Taliban that they would have to dismantle their checkposts. He was of the opinion that the doing away with checkpoints would enable the people to move freely and would help remove fear from their hearts.
He along with hundreds of his activists had travelled to the valley on February 17 to restore peace after striking a deal with the NWFP government. The deal paved the way for the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl. Sufi Mohammad had established a protest camp for four months for the purpose. He has pledged to stay in the valley till the complete restoration of peace. Though violence has not ended completely, it has tapered off due to his peace overtures, leading people to hope for a durable peace.
Meanwhile, the convoy of the security forces, taking ration, came under attack from the militants at Qambar. The convoy consisted of eight freight vehicles and the escort vehicle was fired at. However, no casualty was reported, except damage to two vehicles.
Moreover, Shah Dauran, the deputy chief of the Swat militants, came to Qambar, his native village, along with his fighters for sometime. He was warmly received by Taliban who resorted to firing into the air as a token of happiness, or victory.
Addressing Taliban fighters, he emphasized on continuing jihad and asked his force not to hesitate to lay down their lives for supremacy of Islam. Shah Dauran, who is a powerful commander, is considered a hardliner among the ranks of Taliban. He was in-charge of FM radio channel and hit headlines for his hard-line views, opposition to girls education and issuing threats to forces and individuals.
Remaining for few hours there, he went back to an undisclosed location. After the peace deal, the militants have been moving without any hindrance, leading many analysts to believe that the militants were jockeying for a better position and were regrouping.
Source:http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=166347
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