Taliban leaders told local residents on Thursday to “shoot on sight anyone looting public property disguised as Taliban,” as the presence of government security forces in the main town of North Waziristan vanished completely, locals said.Police in the tribal region recently stopped performing their duty in the face of threats from Taliban militants. This occurred after tension with the government intensified over the build-up of army personnel at security check-posts in the area. Any looters disguised as Taliban “must be shot at and killed immediately to restore peace,” members of the Taliban ‘shura’ announced on loudspeakers from the three main mosques in Miranshah, residents reported.
The announcement indicates that the Taliban leadership realises that their public image is at risk as the local population also holds them responsible for the present crisis in Waziristan.
| “Miranshah is at the mercy of people holding guns who do what they want, looting public property.” |
Neither police nor Taliban militants have been prominent in Miranshah for the last few days. A local doctor described the situation as reflecting “absolute anarchy and chaos”. A member of an all-tribes jirga in Peshawar welcomed the announcement, hoping it would send a goodwill message to the government that the Taliban would ensure peace, which the NWFP governor had said was a pre-requisite to removing military check-posts.