Operation Rah-e-Rast (Swat)

[air marshal]

Fazlullah killed in Afghan clash

Swat will stabilise

Asadabad—A top Pakistani Taliban leader Maulvi Fazlullah may have been killed in a clash with Afghan forces near the border, a senior Afghan police officer said on Thursday. Maulvi Fazlullah, the head of a Taliban faction in Swat Valley, was reportedly killed along with six of his comrades in the Barg Matal district of Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, said Mohammad Zaman Mamozai, chief of the Afghan border force for the eastern region.

“Maulvi Fazlullah was killed in direct clash with Afghan border police...last night,” he said.

He did not have further details. The Afghan Taliban have confirmed the fighting, but insist no foreigners were involved.

Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, who heads a Pakistani Taliban faction based in the Bajuar tribal region, denied media reports that Fazlullah was leading any assault in Afghanistan.

In a BBC interview in November, Fazlullah said he had escaped to Afghanistan after a Pakistani military offensive against the Taliban in his stronghold in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley in April last year.

Thus, the death of Fazlullah might improve security in Swat where he previously held sway, said Mehmood Shah, former security chief in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

“Swat probably will stabilise a lot,” he said. “But he was not much of a figure in the overall Taliban.”—Reuters

Fazlullah killed in Afghan clash

 

[air marshal]

 

[air marshal]

Peace in Swat
Monday, 31 May, 2010

On Thursday, a statement released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan welcomed the restoration of peace in Swat, citing the reports of a fact-finding team. This is encouraging and testifies to the Pakistan Army’s efforts since the military operation was launched last year. However, lasting stability hinges on several factors and requires more than the efforts of the army alone.

First, the security forces must refrain from adopting a ham-fisted approach. No illegal practices should be associated with the army. Yet the HRCP fact-finding team says that the security forces were in some areas committing human rights violations. These include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions and the forced displacement of families of suspected militants. This is counterproductive and must cease since it tarnishes the image of the army while alienating the local people.

Secondly, the role played by the army in maintaining peace must slowly but surely be handed over to non- military agencies such as the police. The task of infrastructure development and rehabilitation must also be entrusted to civi- lian bodies. That the army repaired and rebuilt over 200 schools is praiseworthy, for instance, but sends the signal that civilian organisations are not in charge. The confidence of the people will not be restored unless the region appears safe enough for the army to be seen to be taking a back seat.

Third, the region needs a more efficient justice system. This will not only restore confidence in the state but also reduce the need for illegalities such as arbi-trary detention and extrajudicial killings. Only 57 of the nearly 3,000 cases registered against suspected militants since May 2009 have so far been decided, and there have been three convictions. This is unsurprising since there is only one anti-terrorism judge for the seven districts of Malakand division. Such deficiencies must be addressed if peace in Swat is to be sustainable.

DAWN.COM | Editorial | Peace in Swat

 

[ajpirzada]

 

[SparklingCrescent]

Old News. Sorry

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

wow if even HRCP approves, then that means things are very much on track!!!

they always tend to be in bad mood most of the time

 

[fatman17]

Muslim ambassadors laud Pak Army’s successful operation in Swat

* Muslim envoys vow to continue support for Pakistan

MINGORA: The ambassadors of 13 Islamic countries visited Swat on Tuesday and highly lauded the successful military operation by the Pakistan Army against militants.

The ambassadors of Libya, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey, the UAE, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia visited Mingora Circuit House where they were received by the in-charge of Operation Rah-e-Rast, Major General Asfaque Nadeem, who briefed them about the latest security situation and the sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army for the establishment of the government’s writ in Swat and Malakand. The visiting dignitaries were also briefed about developmental projects and the reconstruction and rehabilitation programme.

The foreign dignitaries were warmly received by the people of Swat when they arrived at Wadodia Hall, Saidu Sharif. The Wadodia hall had been decorated with flags of the Islamic countries.

The ambassadors said that relations between Pakistan and their countries are deep-rooted, friendly, and that they will continue to support Pakistan. They said that Pakistan and their countries enjoyed very close, friendly and strong relations, which, they added, would further grow with the passage of time. app

 

[Javed3]

Where are the development projects in Swat? What level of compensation have the 3.5 million affected people received?

 

[TaimiKhan]

Where are the development projects in Swat? What level of compensation have the 3.5 million affected people received?

Why don't you to Pakistan and go to Swat and see for yourself, as whatever we are gonna say, you are not gonna believe.

So come to Pakistan instead of sitting abroad and trying to be an armchair general and see first hand accounts.

 

[ajpirzada]

 

[fatman17]

Army hands over Swat checkposts to civilian administration

* Most of the checkposts on Swat-Peshawar highway up to Kalam handed over to civilian administration as security situation has improved significantly

By Iqbal Khattak

MINGORA: The army has handed over a majority of checkposts in Swat to the civil administration and the journey through the former Taliban stronghold has been made much smoother with the removal of troops from the posts, suggesting improvement in security in Swat district.

The handover of these checkposts to civilian administration has been attributed to “improvement in security on the ground”, a local military spokesman said.

“It underlines that the security has improved on ground in these areas,” Major Mushtaq told Daily Times. Previously, commuters were stopped at around a dozen checkposts for identification and checking in Upper Swat, where they were offloaded from their vehicles to ensure the implementation of the security procedure. “The checkposts were meant for our security, but they also caused irritation to the public,” Behram Khan, resident of Bara Dureshkhela, told Daily Times. “Now travelling through the area is no more painstaking,” he added.

Checkposts at Pir Kalay, Khawazakhela, Kuza Dureshkhela, Bagh Dhere, Fatehpur and Jari are no more manned by the army but by the community police as they guard Matta, Khawazakhela, Dureshkhela, and tourist resorts such as Madyan, Bahrain and Kalam against the Taliban.

Tourists: Making these checkposts “softer” has another perspective. It is aimed at “facilitating” the return of domestic tourists to Swat, who stopped travelling to the area due to terrorism. People associated with the tourism industry were exuberant over the move. “Uninterrupted movement is necessary for the revival of tourism and we welcome the army’s support to our main means of income,” said Salman, a shopkeeper in Madyan Bazaar. The military, however, is manning other key checkposts, such as ones at Dargai and Landaki. “We are maintaining tight vigilance in areas where the Taliban can use fields and uncarpeted roads to sneak into Swat,” the army spokesman added. A suspected militant was doing exactly that on Tuesday near the Landaki checkpost when security forces shot him dead. On the main Swat-Peshawar highway, other checkposts previously manned by the army were handed over to the civil administration. Meanwhile, a civilian security official hoped the Taliban would not return to Swat in the “next 50 years”, as last year’s operation had destroyed their command-and-control-structure.

“I personally believe they will not return to Swat for another 50 years as they have been hit so hard,” he said optimistically.

big decision!!! we have to be very sure this works!!!

 

[M8R]

Our Intel Agencies should keep an eye on these posts for some time.

 

[SparklingCrescent]

You know what we need, we need drones flying over Swat, just to be on the safe side.

 

[ejaz007]

Our Intel Agencies should keep an eye on these posts for some time.

Army shall remain in Swat and may be called in at any time. It is important to handover affairs of Swat to civil administration as soon as possible. It's not army's role to administer or run civil matters, they are only called in when things get out of hand.

 

[SparklingCrescent]

Where are the development projects in Swat? What level of compensation have the 3.5 million affected people received?

The stupidest ever comment Ive ever seen in my life.