Swat valley locals happy to buy Sharia peace

17 Feb 2009, 2102 hrs IST, Nandita Sengupta, TNN

NEW DELHI: The world may be outraged over Pakistan government's truce with the Taliban but Swat valley, the focal point of the deal, erupted in joy on Tuesday.

There was general merriment on the streets of Mingora, the valley's most important town, say activists based in Peshawar and Mingora. Not everybody supports Taliban. But many are relieved by the promise of normalcy after being sandwiched between Taliban and the army over a 20-month stretch of bloodbath.

"We wanted peace at any cost. In Swat, people are very happy and celebrating," Musarrat Hilali, Peshawar-based lawyer-activist told TOI on phone. "Everyone's calling it the great surrender but even I am 10% happy. At least I feel safe," says Hilali, a staunch supporter of ousted Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Fear among locals had reached sickening heights in the last year with 1,200 people killed in the valley also described as the Switzerland of Pakistan. Over 170 schools and colleges have been reduced to rubble by bombing and around 300,000 people displaced.

The imposition of Sharia law is being seen as a way out of the impasse. For the past two years, local courts were deserted. Which is why out-of-work advocate A Vilayat, who works in Mingora, is preparing to return to court. He is expecting work to be altered by the new Sharia laws. "Sharia was imposed earlier in 1994 then in 1999. This
time we expect more changes," he says.

On Tuesday, talks between the jirga (elders) of the Taliban and local administrations were expected to bring in new hierarchies. There will be no concept of Supreme Court anymore, says Vilayat. "The headquarters of the new courts for the region will be in Mingora. Cases won't have to be taken to Islamabad any longer," he says.

Criminal cases will have to be closed within four months, civil cases within six months. A three-month crash course will be mandatory in the Islamic Council for those who haven't studied Sharia laws in their LLB. A Sharia representative, possibly from the Taliban, will be present with greater power in every court. In 1994, such a person was paid Rs 5,000 per month; in 1999, Rs 10,000. The final stop for all appeals will be the Mingora court.

Designations will be changed, so a judge will become a qazi a sessions judge, a zila qazi. A beard will be compulsory for all judicial officers.

"People are romantic about Sharia," says columnist-activist Zubair Torwali who fled Swat in December. "With this truce, the government believes it has isolated the militants from the locals, and the militants believe they won because their demands are being met."

Despite the relief, everyone knows the peace may be short-lived. "This rule may spread to the rest of the country. It's not the judicial system. It's a question of who is the power centre. In Pakistan now, anyone can impose their writ on the strength of the gun," says Hilali.

Torwali, for one, will wait till March to see how things will pan out before planning a return. "We are sceptical. I am not sure what will ultimately happen."

But Vilayat is not expecting anyone to return right now. Many houses have been destroyed like the schools. "Schools are expected to open by March but where are the schools?" he laughs in resignation.

 

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Swat-valley-locals-happy-to-buy-Sharia-peace/articleshow/4145365.cms