Local Taliban have taken another step to assert their growing influence in Bannu – the hometown of NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani – by announcing that anybody found dancing, listening to music, watching TV and loading songs in cell phones would be fined Rs 5,000. Ali Jan of Kaki-1, Bannu, told Daily Times over the telephone that the Taliban formed a “peace committee” for Kaki-1 and Kaki-2 union councils a week ago, and this committee announced on Saturday a Rs 5,000 fine for “crimes unnoticed by police”. He said ‘Talibanisation’ was fast spreading in Bannu, and the Taliban had earlier made such announcements in the Hovaid and Takhtikhel areas. He said Mualana Ziawar Jan Shah had been appointed the committee’s ameer, Maulana Takia Din the naib ameer, Maulana Abdul Ghani the secretary general and Maulana Zaif the treasurer. Sources said that hardliners also distributed pamphlets in the Kaki area, directing locals to abide by the committee’s orders, or “face punishment”.
The Bannu DPO confirmed the formation of the committee, and said police officials were backing the committee to eliminate “evils like dancing, theft, music and interest-based banking”.
“Police supports the committee on three grounds: the committee members are unarmed Taliban, they don’t violate the law and they have promised the administration that they will not shelter any foreign militant in the district,” he said.
Meanwhile, girl students studying at government schools in Mardan have started wearing full-body veils, after hardliners sent threatening letters to schools.