Taliban rebels on Wednesday refused to let the government carry out development work until the authorities restore mosques that were damaged during army operations. The rebels issued the statement at a meeting here that was attended by rebel commanders, clerics, Islamic students and tribesmen, witnesses said. The Pakistan army carried out several offensives against militants in North Waziristan before
People at the meeting backed Gul when he demanded compensation for seven madrassas, mosques and clerics’ houses. “To please the Americans, the government has ruined Waziristan...these oppressors did not even spare mosques and madrassas,” he said.
The tribal areas are well known for harbouring Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters that escaped from Afghanistan after the US invaded the country in 2001. Pakistan, a key US ally in the “war on terror”, has 90,000 troops in the region. Around 1,000 militants have been killed in clashes since 2003, while 700 soldiers have also died there. The United States said in March that it would give Pakistan $750 million over five years to develop the tribal belt.