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June 11, 2008
Fears that Peshawar may Slip into Militant Hands
Islamabad
Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) capital Peshawar
could slip into the hands of militants within a few months if the
government does not take adequate measures to arrest the growing
trend of militancy, a media report said Wednesday.
Militant groups have been gaining strength for the past several
months in a number of towns and villages around Peshawar, The News
said.
Two groups, led respectively by Mangal Bagh and Haji Namdar, have
established their ascendancy in the tribal Khyber Agency and a
similar number hold sway in the Mohmand Agency.
"The Mangal Bagh-led Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) has never attacked
security forces but clashed with rival groups on three different
occasions in the past that left several people dead," The News said.
The LI has also threatened action against all those running
brothels, selling liquor and heroin, kidnapping for ransom and other
crimes.
"Many living in the areas close to the LI stronghold have abandoned
their trades to save their skin," the newspaper said.
Threats were also issued on a number of occasions to the owners of
CD and video shops, Internet cafes and snooker clubs in a number of
towns and villages to the north of Peshawar.
A large number of such shops were bombed when the owners ignored the
warnings.
"The law-enforcing agencies were also attacked on a number of
occasions. The situation reached such a level that one of the
capital's police officers had to request the government to deploy
the Frontier Corps (meant for guarding the border) to assist the
police in combating militants," The News said.
As far as attacks on the security forces are concerned, the record
of Matani town is the worst, with at least 18 personnel having been
killed in ambushes and attacks on security posts in the town in the
last two years.
Among those killed were a deputy inspector general of police, an
inspector and a sub-inspector.
"A number of criminals had also taken advantage of the situation. A
number of gangs, posing as militants, were busy kidnapping people
for ransom. Several rivals have also exploited the situation to take
revenge against their enemies by attacking their properties with
bombs," the newspaper said.
IANS
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June 11, 2008
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