I'm sure Dire Revenge⢠is in the works somewhere...
South Waziristan Agency was calm a day after the death of rebel leader Nek Muhammad in a missile attack on Friday. âThere has been no (violent) reaction to Nekâs death so far,â a tribal elder told Daily Times by phone from Kalosha. âThe day was very quiet,â he added. Military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan also reported that the area was calm and hoped, âThings are moving in the right direction.â
Not a big majority of tribal people were shocked by Nekâs killing.
| "I always knew it was going to come to this some day," said an elderly lady who used to live next door. |
Daily Times learnt this by interviewing a cross section of people via phone in Wana, Azam Warsak and Kalosha. âI would say that perhaps 40 percent people are in shock. Nek was a hero for these people. But wiser people also say whatever is happening in Waziristan is because of him,â said a tribal elder, requesting anonymity. His supporters were made to believe that Nek was âlike a tankâ and that the Pakistan Army was unlikely to eliminate him physically, he said. âI think Nekâs followers are in deep shock because a new dimension â the use of guided missiles â was added to the operation. There was no quick reaction on the first day after his burial because his followers were probably taking stock of the situation before launching a counter-strike,â a former Inter Services Intelligence official said. He said the government must be ready for any âadventureâ by Nekâs followers to avenge his death.
Intelligence sources said situation was being monitored closely. They said foreigners and Nekâs followers would stay quiet for some time. Sources said that wanted tribesman Muhammad Javed Karmazkhel might lead the post-Nek resistance. He is in his early 30s and regarded as âas good fighterâ like Nek.
| For his sake, he'd better hope he's a little better than that. |
Karmazkhel, said a pro-Nek tribesman, might prove to be real successor to âameerâ Nek. But the government appears to have hardened its stance to tackle foreign terrorists. On Saturday, the administration shifted key arrested elders from Waziristan to unknown places. Agencies add: âIf there is any backlash, we are prepared to deal with it,â Maj Gen Sultan told Reuters. |