UN official says 1.3 million IDPs have returned to SwatAugust 19th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A United Nations official on Wednesday said that about 1.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have returned to their homes in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, including the Swat Valley. "The best estimate that we can make now is that approximately 1.3 million displaced people have returned home," Pakistan's UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Mogwanja told a press conference here.
Fazlullah, other top Taliban commanders have 'escaped' Swat offensive: ReportJuly 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A report in the US based Long War Journal has revealed that most of the Swat Taliban's top commanders, including Mullah Fazlullah aka Radio Mullah, have 'escaped the Pakistani government's operation.'
The journal cited a self proclaimed Taliban spokesman, as saying that Fazlullah and other top commanders are safe and reports about him being grievously wounded are not true. The Pakistan Army which launched a massive operation to root out the Taliban and other extremist outfits from Swat and Malakand Divisions is still struggling to get hold of the region even after three months of military combat with the insurgents.
Pakistan Army names new commander for Swat operationJuly 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army has named Maj. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem to command the Swat operation against the Taliban, a media report said Saturday.
Swat operation nears end, says GilaniJune 27th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the military operation in the Swat Valley is nearing end as the top rung militants there have been killed and the government would now focus on the development of the region, the Online News Agency said Saturday. He made the remarks while inaugurating a Textile City here.
No key Taliban leader killed in military's operation : Swat IDPsJune 4th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The Pakistan Army might be claiming success in its operation in the Swat Valley, but a large number of people, who have been forced to flee the region due to the military operation, have put a question mark over the offensive, saying no key Taliban leader has been nabbed or killed so far. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who have fled the valley and have taken refuge in government schools here, are skeptical about the authenticity of the military offensive, The Daily Times reports.
Army need to stay in Swat for a year to prevent Taliban from resurfacing: Pak ArmyJune 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army would need to stay in the Swat Valley for at least a year after its operation against the Taliban in the region is accomplished, in order to prevent the extremists from resurfacing again, a senior Army official has said. Major General Ijaz Awan, who is commanding the military's Swat offensive, said the army would have to stay in the valley for at least another year so that peace and security could be re-established.
Pakistani forces kill 12 Taliban in SwatMay 27th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan security forces Wednesday said they killed 12 more militants in the ongoing operation against Taliban in northwest valley of Swat. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said one soldiers was also killed and three others wounded during the firefight with the insurgents.
India 'conspirator-in-chief' of Swat operation, says Shujaat HussainMay 24th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid (PML-Q) Chief Chaudhury Shujaat Hussain has blamed India for the Swat military operation. Addressing a press conference here, Hussain called India as 'conspirator-in-chief' of the Swat operation, and asked the entire nation to stand behind the armed forces.
Pak religious leaders criticize Swat offensiveMay 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's religious leaders have strongly criticized the Swat offensive, saying innocent civilians are being killed in the operation, and added that even India has never adopted such measures in Kashmir. "It is not correct to target the whole population for the pursuance of few terrorists and even the Indian forces never adopted such measures in occupied Kashmir," the former Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hussain Ahmad said.
India doesn't kill in Kashmir as Pak is doing in Swat : QaziMay 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's religious leaders have strongly criticized the Swat offensive, saying innocent civilians are being killed in the operation, and added that even India has never adopted such measures in Kashmir. "It is not correct to target the whole population for the pursuance of few terrorists and even the Indian forces never adopted such measures in occupied Kashmir," the former Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad said.
Govt. must answer why Swat operation was inevitable: Imran KhanMay 18th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has said the government will have to give an answer as to what prompted it to initiate a military operation in the Swat Valley when it could have tried restoring peace in the region through dialogue. Talking to media persons here, the cricketer-turned-politician said his party would quiz the government during the all-party conference as to why it considered the Swat operation inevitable.
Swat operation has 'bleak' chance of achieving success: US expertMay 14th, 2009 LAHORE - While Pakistan has claimed to have sanitized hundreds of Taliban operatives during the ongoing military operation in the Swat Valley, a US expert has said the offensive has a 'bleak' chance of achieving success and yielding the desired result. Key US strategist, David Kilcullen said that due to Pakistan Army's inexperience and its refusal to accept help from the West in the operation, the success of the Swat military offensive is doubtful.
Indian Govt doesn't bomb Kashmiris in J and K as Pak is doing in Swat: TalibanMay 13th, 2009 LONDON - The Taliban has warned of carrying out 'revenge attacks' inside Pakistan against the Swat military operation, in which about 751 extremists have reportedly been killed so far, and said that even in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government does not use bombs against its own people, as was being done here. The Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Mohammad blamed the Pakistan government of breaching the Swat peace deal, and killing its own people by initiating the military operation in Swat and other regions of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
24 more militants killed in Swat military operationMay 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Security forces on Friday claimed that they had killed 24 more militants in Lower Dir and Swat. According to the sources, security personnel targeted terrorist positions in Maidan tehsil of the region killing at least 24 militants.
Swat situation, a reaction to Lal Masjid operation, says chief cleric AzizMay 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The recently released controversial cleric of Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), Maulana Abdul Aziz, has said that whatever situation has emerged in the troubled areas of Swat, Buner and Dir was a reaction of a military operation conducted on the mosque in 2007. Aziz said most of the students of Lal Masjid who suffered due to the operation belonged to those areas and now they were taking their revenge.
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