| India-Pakistan |
| Malakand commissioner replaced |
| 2009-04-26 |
 Fazl Karim Khattak replaced Syed Muhammad Javed as Malakand division commissioner on Saturday, a private TV channel reported. The channel quoted its sources as saying that the reason behind Javed's replacement was his alleged ties with the Taliban. Military officials had expressed concerns over his relations with Taliban commander Maulvi Faqeer, the channel said. ANP Senator Haji Adeel denied the report and told another TV channel Khattak had left for a three-month training course. |
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| India-Pakistan | |
| Sufi leaves Swat in protest against Nizam-e-Adl delay | |
| 2009-04-10 | |
But the peace deal with the provincial government is intact, Sufi Muhammad, head of Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-Muhammadi, told a news conference before moving out of the district. If something unpleasant happens after our peace camp has been wrapped up, President Asif Zardari will be held responsible, Sufi read a written statement in Pushto. He said the federal government was not sincere. TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said Sufi Muhammad left for Amandara town in Malakand where he will chair a shura meeting. The ball is now in the presidents court, he told Daily Times. Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed said the federal government would sign the regulation soon. This stage will be crossed, like other stages. | |
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| India-Pakistan | |||
| Swat Taliban agree to leave Buner | |||
| 2009-04-10 | |||
LAHORE: The Taliban agreed to leave Buner district unconditionally after successful talks with a peace jirga in Mingora on Thursday. Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed told a private TV channel the Taliban had agreed to leave Buner and would completely vacate the area by Friday (today). He said the Taliban had made no demands for vacating the area.
During the jirga, its members had offered the top Taliban leadership in Swat a peace deal and apology to end the standoff resulting from villagers executing 20 Taliban last week, elders told Daily Times. Waliullah confirmed the jirga members unconditional apology to the Taliban. We want peaceful settlement of the Taliban presence in Buner, he said.
Whatever has happened was a mistake on the part of some people and all us jirga members regret the incident, the statement, quoting the Buner jirga members, stated.
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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban kill five in Buner |
| 2009-04-08 |
 Taliban killed five people, including three policemen, in clashes with tribesmen and police, officials and witnesses said on Tuesday. Seeking anonymity, the officials said Assistant Sub-Inspector Afreen Khan, Head Constable Jehanzada and Constable Muhammad Akbar had a clash with the Taliban who crossed into Buner district from Swat. "Malakand Division Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed has held talks with senior Taliban leaders, but they have refused to leave Buner," they said. "The chief of police has held talks with Machine Gun Kelly, but he refuses to get out of town." Separately, unidentified men kidnapped a traffic police official at gunpoint from Green Chowk in Mingora and took him to an unidentified location, witnesses said. Meanwhile, scores of Taliban occupied the hostel of polytechnic college in Mingora. Taliban sources said students had been ordered to leave the hostel, as the Taliban wanted to stay there. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| NWFP govt probably won't produce Swat flogging victim in court |
| 2009-04-07 |
| [The News (Pak)] The NWFP chief secretary and the inspector general of police (IGP) may not produce a Swati girl, who was publicly lashed by suspected militants, as the officials appear before the larger bench of the Supreme Court today (Monday). Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had taken a suo moto notice of the public lashing of the teenaged girl in Swat after a footage of the incident appeared on private television channels. Apart from the federal interior secretary, the NWFP chief secretary, IGP, advocate general and president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) were directed to appear and produce the victim before the larger bench of the Supreme Court. "We are yet to take the girl into our protection and that's why we may not produce her before the court on Monday," Malakand Division Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed told The News on Sunday. IGP Malik Naveed Khan could not be contacted despite repeated attempts on his residence's telephone number. His cellular phone remained switched off all the day. The family of the victim and the local elders, reportedly belonging to the Kala Kelay in Kabal, refused to let the girl go with the authorities due to social pressure and militants' fear. The Malakand commissioner and the acting DIG were directed by CS Javed Iqbal and IGP Naveed to gather details of the event. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| Militant killed, soldier hurt in Swat clash |
| 2009-03-28 |
 Security forces and militants on Friday clashed in Qamber area of Swat Valley, which resulted in the death of a recently released militant and injuries to a soldier.The gunfight took place when militants allegedly fired at a convoy of the security forces, which was taking ration to Qamber town on the outskirts of Mingora. This was the third clash between the militants and forces after the peace deal between the NWFP government and the TNSM. However, officials of the local administration and Maulana Sufi Muhammad, head of TNSM, succeeded in keeping the peace accord intact. Locals said the convoy of the security forces, mainly consisting of freight vehicles, came under fire from the militants at Qamber. The forces returned the fire, which led to a gunfight that continued for quite sometime. During the exchange of fire, a militant commander identified as Hayat Khan of Qamber was killed. Hayat Khan was freed some days ago when the government released the Taliban prisoners under the peace agreement. A soldier, Saifur Rahman, suffered injuries in the exchange of fire. The main Mingora-Peshawar road remained blocked for hours due to the incident, causing problems to the people. Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed and District Coordination Officer Khushal Khan rushed to the area to bring the situation under control. They succeeded in effecting a ceasefire between the two sides. However, sources said the militants took away eight vehicles of ration. Meanwhile, Maulana Sufi Muhammad addressing the Friday congregation at the Mamdherai seminary, the former headquarters of Maulana Fazlullah, Sufi Muhammad urged people to play their role in the restoration of peace. In another incident, a cop identified as Zahid was picked up by militants from the busy Banr School Chowk. However, he was later released. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| NWFP considers inducting Taliban into police, Levies |
| 2009-03-14 |
 The NWFP is considering inducting the Taliban into the police or Levies forces as part of a rehabilitation policy, a senior official said on Monday."I have proposed the Taliban be adjusted in police or Levies force and have suggested this at several forums," Malakand Division Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed told Daily Times. The proposal follows a lacklustre response from policemen that deserted their posts to protect themselves from Taliban retaliation. Over 600 police officers in Swat have deserted the force since the Taliban insurgency started two years ago. Official figures have revealed that 70 police jawans have been killed and 160 wounded since July 4, 2007. "The police jawans' confidence is shaken," Javed said, pointing to the Taliban's demoralising the police by kidnapping and beheading their colleagues. He said a new salary package was under consideration to attract people to the force. The Taliban also kidnapped lady constable Aalya near Mingora around six months ago. Unconfirmed reports claim she was married to a Taliban commander against her will. Javed said he has heard similar reports but has no conclusive proof. Two years: The commissioner said the government would re-establish the writ of state within two years. "We are slowly re-establishing the writ of state," he said. He also said the government had not reached a final decision on the fate of Swat Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah. Saying Fazlullah was a "good human being", Javed said only Fazlullah could explain why he had taken up arms against the state. The commissioner said he was also working to maintain peace following claims by several tribesmen they would seek revenge on the Taliban for murdering their relatives. "We will hold a grand jirga at Malakand level to help people forgive following the return to peace," he said. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| 10 Taliban to be released in Swat |
| 2009-03-06 |
| The district administration of Swat has decided to release 10 Taliban from government custody on Thursday, according to sources. The sources said the Taliban were supposed to be freed on Wednesday, but their release had been delayed because of 'some reasons'. The 10 men could be set free any time on Thursday, they added. The sources said the TNSM had given the authorities a list of 146 militants it wanted to be released. Meanwhile, Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed and a TNSM peace jirga held talks on Thursday. However, the Awami National Party NWFP chief and information minister could not attend the talks. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| Security forces and TNSM strike 17-point accord |
| 2009-03-05 |
| The NWFP government struck a 17-point deal with the banned Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi in the Swat valley on Wednesday. "A 17-point understanding was reached with a TNSM delegation ... music has been banned in Swat and it has been agreed to expel prostitutes and pimps from the district," the senior official told Daily Times after the meeting. The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-led the provincial government at the talks, while Maulana Safiullah and spokesman Amir Izzat Khan represented the TNSM -- with Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed also in attendance. The meeting came a day after suspected Taliban killed two army troops and continued taking government officials hostage, despite having agreed to a ceasefire in the wake of the provincial government's February 16 accord on the implementation of sharia in Swat. Sharia: "Music and vulgar CDs will be banned; shops will remain closed during prayer times and the complete implementation of sharia laws in the region will come into effect from the 16th of this month," according to the key points of the understanding. "Vulgarity would be rooted out and profiteers dealt with under the law. An anti-crime campaign will be launched and Quran classes will be started for jail inmates in the region." The Malakand commissioner's office released to the media the 17-point understanding -- which does not say if the Taliban would stop abducting government officials and attacking government forces. The commissioner told the TNSM delegation that he would forward the 17 points to the chief secretary in Peshawar for the government's approval, said the officials. However, the TNSM delegates insisted that the commissioner bring into effect some of the points through his own administrative powers. Meanwhile, the army began vacating former headquarters of Swat Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in Imamdheri, military sources here told Daily Times on Wednesday as witnesses said the Taliban had abandoned the Qambar checkpost near Mingora on the main highway linking the district with Peshawar. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| Govt to appoint Qazis in Malakand before 15th |
| 2009-03-02 |
| The government announced on Sunday it will appoint Qazis (Islamic judges) in Malakand Division before March 15 -- a deadline set by cleric Sufi Muhammad earlier in the day. Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed told reporters after a meeting with the cleric -- who is negotiating the truce between the government and Taliban -- at the Tableeghi Markaz in the main Swat town of Mingora that Sufi would himself interview the Qazis. The elderly cleric had provided a list of Taliban prisoners that the government is yet to release. "After going through the list and fulfilling the necessary requirements, the government will release the prisoners," he said. |
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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban Truce Seems in Flux in Pakistan |
| 2009-02-22 |
| A provincial government official in the disputed area of Swat announced details of what he called a permanent cease-fire with the Taliban on Saturday. But hours later, the most powerful Taliban leader in Swat, Maulana Fazlullah, said over his FM radio station that he had only agreed to a 10-day truce and would consider an extension at the end of that period. The different positions suggested that the truce agreed to five days ago by the national government, under which the army would stop hostilities in exchange for being allowed to put in place a system of Islamic law, remained in flux. That deal was widely criticized by Western governments and moderate Pakistanis who described it as a government surrender to ruthless militants. Now it appears that Mr. Fazlullah, whose forces have swept through the territory in the past six months, has not signed on to it. The national government said Monday that it had agreed to a deal with another Taliban leader, Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who lacks the powerful forces of Mr. Fazlullah, his son-in-law. Mr. Fazlullah has the backing of the umbrella group of Pakistani Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban. Mr. Muhammad has been holding talks with Mr. Fazlullah in the last two days, apparently an effort to persuade him to go along with the government deal. At a news conference on Saturday, Syed Muhammad Javed, a newly appointed commissioner for Malakand, the region that includes the Swat Valley, said: Today, we are announcing a permanent cease-fire. The Taliban have also endorsed the cease-fire. But Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Swat Taliban, told The Associated Press that the group was not ready to announce an agreement. We do welcome the governments announcement of the permanent cease-fire, but as far as the cease-fire from our side, we can announce it on our own, and we will do that ourselves, he said. |
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| India-Pakistan | |||||||
| Mohmand Talibs behead 6 'criminals' | |||||||
| 2007-10-13 | |||||||
 Pro-Taliban militants publicly beheaded six alleged criminals and
District administration concerned: Swat District Coordination Officer Syed Muhammad Javed said the district administration was contacting the cleric to ask him to stop making such punishments. A security official in Peshawar said he had reported to the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government in September last year that the cleric could pose a serious threat if he were left unchecked, but the provincial government simply ignored the warnings.
 Calling justice: Meanwhile, on Thursday, Maulana Fazlullahs armed These are the cellular phone numbers to contact for any dispensation of justice, the masked men were quoted as telling the residents. They also warned CD-shop owners to stop their un-Islamic business immediately. | |||||||
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