| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Waziristan unrest scaring Pakistani government |
| 2005-12-29 |
| NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman is facing a real test of his political skills to bring South Waziristan under control after the turbulent tribal region was declared âsecuredâ following successful operations last year, analysts and tribal parliamentarians said on Wednesday. âWe discussed the Wana situation with the governor for two days and we are likely to hold a similar meeting with Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Hamid Khan today (Wednesday) or Thursday,â Wana MNA Maulana Abdul Malick told Daily Times. He declined to give details of his meeting with the governor. âLet the discussion finish first, then we will talk with the press,â he said. âSouth Waziristan is virtually under the control of people who were once on the governmentâs wanted list and foreign militants are roaming around freely in the area,â he said. South Waziristan MNA Maulana Mirajuddin was also present in meetings with the governor. He said âthe government is complaining about the situation in South Waziristanâ. He said there was a lack of consensus between the federal government and tribal people on the âwar on terrorâ in South Waziristan. âThe real problem was created after the military operations. Whatever anger persists among the people is because the government has imposed its decisions through force,â Mirajuddin said when he came out after meeting the governor on Wednesday. The MMA MNA from South Waziristan renewed his earlier statement that military action against Al Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants was âa mistakeâ and believed negotiations could have achieved the desired results. âPresident Pervez Musharraf failed to convince the people in Waziristan about his pro-America policy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States,â he said. âThe Waziristan people are not so bad that the government is worried and launching military operations,â Mirajuddin said. Mirajuddin warned that any military option in future would not help the government. âI donât think the military action will generate pro-government feelings among the tribesmen,â he said. Analysts said the successor to Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain might prefer negotiations to bring South Waziristan under control. But these analysts also warned Gen Hamid against âremaining a silent spectator to the situation in Wanaâ where, according to them, militants had obtained greater freedom than before their peace agreements. âWe think that we have failed to build on successes the military achieved in 2004. It will not be exaggeration to say that Pakistan has lost South Waziristan in 2005,â they said. Due to a large number of people migrating from South Waziristan to nearby Dera Ismail Khan district for security reasons there is a surge in demand for rented houses in the district. âWana and surrounding areas have become a wild west. The administration is paralysed and tribal elders are under the constant target of militants. The Wana bazaar has turned into a recruiting centre,â a tribal elder said. Four paramilitary soldiers were kidnapped few hundreds metres from their base in Wana early this month and two of them were later found decapitated. A senior administration official escaped narrowly when his vehicle was blown up in a remote-controlled bomb explosion in DI Khan on Monday. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |