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ISLAMABAD â The ouster of foreign militants, mostly Uzbek, from the troubled South Waziristan region amid a tribal uprising against them is not as simple as it looks, intelligence sources have said.
With behind-the-curtain help from intelligence agencies, thousands of people moved to the region over the past years and successfully established themselves in the restive border region, sources told IslamOnline on condition of anonymity.
Most of these migrants came from Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore, Multan, Sadiqabad, Bahawalpur and other parts of Punjab.
Intelligence sources estimate that around 2000 people from southern and northern Punjab province moved to South Waziristan since March 2005.
The Punjabi Taliban as they are called paid much higher rents to the locals for their houses and shops, and started different business, mostly food and pharmacy-related.
Wana, the main town of the South Waziristan, is the distribution point of medicines for the entire tribal region of South and North Waziristan, and even southeastern Afghan provinces of Paktia and Paktika.
"Some local Taliban commanders, particularly Mullah Nazir, were their reference here," a local reporter told IOL, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
"They helped them rent houses, buy shops, and establish their businesses."
He noted that 95 percent of the newcomers spoke fluent Pushtu - the local language â though it was not their native language.
Flexing Muscles
The local reporter said the "well-trained" Punjabi Taliban soon started flexing some muscles.
"Within a span of two years, these newcomers strengthened their grip in the region," he added.
"They started confronting the foreign militants on different issues some six months back, which led to various armed clashes between the two sides."
The reporter said the Punjabi Taliban challenged the domination of Uzbek militants "with the help of pro-government Taliban and tribesmen, who were unhappy and scared of the increasing influence of foreign militants in the region."
He noted that the foreign fighters were becoming increasingly unpopular by then.
"They did some blunders, especially by involving themselves in local feuds, and killed various tribal lords on the suspicion of being US and Pakistan army spies."
Tahir Yuldashev, who leads a group called the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and his men were among thousands of militants who fled the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 and sought shelter with ethnic Pashtun tribesmen in Pakistan's tribal belt along the border.
Sources say that some 2500 to 3000 militants of Central Asian origin are hiding in South and North Waziristan.
The Central Asians are suspected of having links to al-Qaeda and of supporting Taliban raids into Afghanistan.
Ikram Sehgal, a senior defense and security analyst, said the foreign militants came in the tribal area as guest, but they took over the control of affairs there.
" If guests capture your house, you have full right to throw them out," he told IOL.
"This is what going on in Waziristan, where foreign militants who came as guest, had imposed their authority, which was unacceptable to the locals."
Tribal militias in the South Waziristan region, led by Mullah Nazir have turned viciously against several hundreds Uzbek and Chechen fighters and their local allies in the wild border zone.
Officials say that about 250 people, including 160 foreigners, have died since the fighting broke out in mid-March, the bloodiest episode in Pakistan's volatile tribal regions in a year.
Inevitable
The recent clashes flared after Uzbek militants attacked a pro-government tribal lord, Malik Saadullah Khan.
The government claims the bloodshed vindicates its strategy of relying on tribal leaders -- not the army -- to combat militancy and disarm foreign fighters along the porous border.
But the Wana-based journalist insists that clashes with the foreign fighters were inevitable even if they had not attacked pro-government tribal lords.
"It could be one of the reasons, but even if it had not happened, the fighting was unavoidable," he said.
"Every thing was pre-planned. The government wants to establish its permanent grip in the region and for that it has adopted the policy of divide and rule."
He still doubts that workability of the new tactic.
"The security forces plan to control this region through Punjabi Taliban, but it is impossible. The tribesmen do not bow to any outside domination, whether by Muslims or non-Muslims," he maintained.
"I don't see something good in near future for my people."
With behind-the-curtain help from intelligence agencies, thousands of people moved to the region over the past years and successfully established themselves in the restive border region, sources told IslamOnline on condition of anonymity.
Most of these migrants came from Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore, Multan, Sadiqabad, Bahawalpur and other parts of Punjab.
Intelligence sources estimate that around 2000 people from southern and northern Punjab province moved to South Waziristan since March 2005.
The Punjabi Taliban as they are called paid much higher rents to the locals for their houses and shops, and started different business, mostly food and pharmacy-related.
Wana, the main town of the South Waziristan, is the distribution point of medicines for the entire tribal region of South and North Waziristan, and even southeastern Afghan provinces of Paktia and Paktika.
"Some local Taliban commanders, particularly Mullah Nazir, were their reference here," a local reporter told IOL, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
"They helped them rent houses, buy shops, and establish their businesses."
He noted that 95 percent of the newcomers spoke fluent Pushtu - the local language â though it was not their native language.
Flexing Muscles
The local reporter said the "well-trained" Punjabi Taliban soon started flexing some muscles.
"Within a span of two years, these newcomers strengthened their grip in the region," he added.
"They started confronting the foreign militants on different issues some six months back, which led to various armed clashes between the two sides."
The reporter said the Punjabi Taliban challenged the domination of Uzbek militants "with the help of pro-government Taliban and tribesmen, who were unhappy and scared of the increasing influence of foreign militants in the region."
He noted that the foreign fighters were becoming increasingly unpopular by then.
"They did some blunders, especially by involving themselves in local feuds, and killed various tribal lords on the suspicion of being US and Pakistan army spies."
Tahir Yuldashev, who leads a group called the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and his men were among thousands of militants who fled the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 and sought shelter with ethnic Pashtun tribesmen in Pakistan's tribal belt along the border.
Sources say that some 2500 to 3000 militants of Central Asian origin are hiding in South and North Waziristan.
The Central Asians are suspected of having links to al-Qaeda and of supporting Taliban raids into Afghanistan.
Ikram Sehgal, a senior defense and security analyst, said the foreign militants came in the tribal area as guest, but they took over the control of affairs there.
" If guests capture your house, you have full right to throw them out," he told IOL.
"This is what going on in Waziristan, where foreign militants who came as guest, had imposed their authority, which was unacceptable to the locals."
Tribal militias in the South Waziristan region, led by Mullah Nazir have turned viciously against several hundreds Uzbek and Chechen fighters and their local allies in the wild border zone.
Officials say that about 250 people, including 160 foreigners, have died since the fighting broke out in mid-March, the bloodiest episode in Pakistan's volatile tribal regions in a year.
Inevitable
The recent clashes flared after Uzbek militants attacked a pro-government tribal lord, Malik Saadullah Khan.
The government claims the bloodshed vindicates its strategy of relying on tribal leaders -- not the army -- to combat militancy and disarm foreign fighters along the porous border.
But the Wana-based journalist insists that clashes with the foreign fighters were inevitable even if they had not attacked pro-government tribal lords.
"It could be one of the reasons, but even if it had not happened, the fighting was unavoidable," he said.
"Every thing was pre-planned. The government wants to establish its permanent grip in the region and for that it has adopted the policy of divide and rule."
He still doubts that workability of the new tactic.
"The security forces plan to control this region through Punjabi Taliban, but it is impossible. The tribesmen do not bow to any outside domination, whether by Muslims or non-Muslims," he maintained.
"I don't see something good in near future for my people."
