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BUNER: Taliban militants from Swat started pulling out of Buner following negotiations with a delegation led by TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad on Friday.

Taliban leaders, however, made it clear that the militants from Buner would stay in the district as they could not be asked to leave their native areas.

‘Most of our companions from outside have left Buner and the remaining ones would follow suit,’ Taliban leader Ustad Yasir Khan told Dawn.

He said that as he had been assigned responsibility for Pir Baba mosque and adjoining areas, he had to return as the people of Buner had been pressing him to continue in that post.

He said that the residents of Buner had been requesting them to stay back, but wondered why the government was asking them to leave the area.

The district was seized by the Taliban from Swat on April 4 after a foray through the Gokand Pass. They seized key towns on April 11 as law enforcement personnel did not offer any resistance.

Maulana Sufi Mohammad visited Madressah Taleemul Quran in Daggar and held negotiations with Taliban leaders. The Maulana was accompanied by TNSM spokesman Amir Ezzat Khan, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan, commanders Mehmood Khan and Mufti Aftab.

The meeting was attended by prominent religious figures Maulana Waliullah Kabal Grami, Malakand commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed, Buner TNSM leaders Maulana Salar, Maulana Dawanoor, Pervez Khan and Ishaat Wal Tauheed, Maulana Mesbahuddin, Minhajuddin and Haji Rehman.

It was agreed in the meeting that the local Taliban would avoid display of weapons. ‘I am acting as guarantor of peace in Malakand region. The militants from other districts should leave the area as it is a threat to peace,’ Sufi Mohammad said.

The Taliban boarded their vehicles and left for Swat through the Karakar Pass. Buner Taliban remained inside their camps, including a villa of an influential figure which they had seized in Sultanwas.

TNSM spokesman Amir Ezzat Khan and Commander Mufti Aftab alleged that the media was exaggerating the whole issue, paving the way for a military operation.

They said the Taliban did not want to create problems for the people and their purpose of visiting Buner was preaching. ‘We do not want devastation of Buner by security forces’.

Ezzat Khan said the issue of Sultanwas village would be resolved in two days while that of Shalbandi village would be taken up later.

The Taliban had earlier refused to forgive inhabitants of the two villages, especially some influential figures, as they had raised lashkar against them.

The fresh developments attracted locals and thousands of them visited village Sultanwas and Madrassa Taleem ul Quran in Daggar.

The AFP reported that more than 100 paramilitary troops manned police stations in Buner on Friday. Two platoons comprising 113 men were sent to the rugged region on Thursday and Friday.

‘The provincial government has sent two Frontier Constabulary (FC) platoons to Buner, which have been posted in different police stations to check any attack by militants,’ police official Rasheed Khan said.

Mr Khan said local forces did not have the manpower to climb mountains and other areas infested with militants. ‘We have been assured that eight platoons will be sent to Buner, of which two have already reached,’ he said. Another police official, Arsalan Khan, said two platoons had arrived and had been deployed in police stations.

Taliban spokesperson Muslim Khan said the pulling out of Taliban from Buner was not the outcome of any agreement as they had left Buner of their own accord.

‘Pakistan is our country and we can visit any area including Buner. We stand by the peace agreement, but certain elements have raised unnecessary hue and cry that we came here to occupy Buner. This is wrong,’ he said.

Malakand commissioner Syed Mohammad Jawed told Dawn that the government was serious in implementing the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation and Darul Qaza would be set up in the division soon.

By Abdur Rehman Abid
www.dawn.com