Taliban flexing muscles to show dominance in Chitral - ZULFIQAR AHMAD

Taliban flexing muscles to show dominance in Chitral - ZULFIQAR AHMAD سوات اور بونیر کے بعد دیر کے پر امن ماحول کو تباہ و برباد کرنے کے بعد طالبان چترال پر اپنا تسلط جمانے کا خواب دیکھ رہے ہیں۔۔۔۔ طالبان کا اگلہ ہدف چترال ہوسکتاہے مگر لواری پر موجود قدرقی رکاوٹ(بھاری برف) کے ہٹ جانے کا انتظار کرنا پڑ ے گا۔۔۔۔ کیونکہ چترال تک رسائی کا واحد زمینی راستہ لواری پاس ہے۔۔۔۔

BUSINESS RECORDER - ISLAMABAD (May 05 2009): After ruining the peace of Swat, Buner and Dir, now the next destination of Taliban fugitives bent upon creating anarchy seems to be Chitral, the largest district of Malakand division, Business Recorder learnt on Monday. The next target of Taliban is definitely Chitral district, but they could not proceed to Chitral from Dir as Lowari Pass, the only road linking the valley with rest of the country is not operational due to heavy snowfall, sources revealed.

They are flexing their muscles to show dominance in the valley, as a large number of like-minded hard-line Islamists are already established stronghold there, sources added. According to sources, Taliban access to Chitral will damage the peace of the valley to the point of no return as the population of the district consists of three communities, ie Sunni, Ismaili and Kalash, but the strong Sunnis presence has already suppressed the minorities.The Kalash community and their culture is almost near extinction due to the resistance of Sunni hard-liners as they have been opposing the presence of Kalash people in Chitral and have been trying their level best to eradicate them or convert them to Islam.The Ismaili Muslims, living in the valley are also not feeling very secure as the hard-liners butchered a large number of Ismailis in the name of so-called jihad during a sectarian violence in 1982. However, with the passage of time and increase in literacy rate a large number of development projects initiated by Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the Sunni-Ismaili violence has been reduced to some extent.Expressing grave concern and fear over the possible shift of Taliban to Chitral after opening of Lowari Pass, Chitralis living in twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad have demanded of the government to deploy troops replacing handful of paramilitary personnel on Lowari top.They said that if the government did not take precautionary measures in time to stop the Taliban from entering Chitral, the already backward valley would present the view of Stone Age with no education and other basic amenities of life. They said that the Taliban would easily enter Chitral through Lowari Pass as hardly five to six police personnel that too with meager arms ammunition is no big threat to them.

The recent killing of nine men of Chitral Scouts in Dir during an operation against Taliban has sparked anger throughout the serene valley and any adventurism by Taliban fugitives would definitely lead to bloodshed disrupting the natural beauty of the area, they maintained. In Chitral, they said, everybody is Afzal Khan Lala. The people of Chitral are the most peace-loving people in the whole country and any conspiracy to sabotage its peace like Swat would be retaliated with full force, they added.