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India-Pakistan
Pakistan: Countering Militancy in PATA
2013-01-27
"Pakistan's Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA), which include Swat and six neighbouring districts and areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KPK), remains volatile more than three years after military operations sought to oust Islamist extremists. Militant groups such as the Sunni extremist Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and its Pakistani Taliban-linked Fazlullah faction are no longer as powerful in Swat and other parts of PATA as they were in 2008 and early 2009, but their leaders and foot soldiers remain at large, regularly attacking security personnel and civilians."

"Public and political support for action against the TNSM and allied Pakistani Taliban networks in Swat and its neighbouring districts remains strong, demonstrated by the outrage against the 9 October 2012 attack by Mullah Fazlullah's Taliban faction on Malala Yousafzai, a Swat-based fourteen-year-old activist for girls' right to education."
Sorry to hear about the girl. Glad to hear about the outrage.
"Despite public opposition to Islamist militancy in Swat and neighbouring PATA districts, the ANP-led provincial government has not repealed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009, which imposed Sharia (Islamic law) in PATA as part of a military-devised peace deal with the Taliban-allied TNSM in April 2009."
How did that work out?
"Efforts to revive a shattered economy, once heavily dependent on tourism, have also faltered, and pressing humanitarian needs remain unmet because of continued instability and short-sighted military-dictated policies and methods."
Yep, I had to drop the PATA from my list of top tourist spots.

Near the end of the Executive summary is a list of recommendations. For some reason, number 10 stuck out.
"10. Review the constitutionality of jirgas (tribal councils), including consistency with fundamental rights of equality, dignity and fair trial, drawing on the 2004 judgment of the Sindh High Court that deemed these forums unconstitutional."
There they go again, expecting Wahhabi and Salafist to care about fundamental rights of equality, dignity and fair trial.
Posted by:Mike Ramsey

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