Pak security battling with Taliban in Waziristan

Islamabad, May 7 : The Pakistani security forces are battling not only foreign 'jehadis' in strategically North and South Waziristan but also homegrown Talibans who are carrying out public executions and dispensing their brutal brand of punishment to establish radical version of the Islam .

The zealot local Talibans, who have developed close nexus with outlawed terrorist groups, killed dozens of alleged criminals recently in Miramshah town of North Waziristan.

Their bodies were left hanging for days. The brutality did not end there. The corpse were later tied to vehicle and dragged through the streets in a savage show that reminded of Medieval barbarism, a monthly magazine, 'Newsline' reported.

Scores of tribal maliks have been killed for collaborating with the Pakistan military in the tribal region along the border of Afghanistan, which has historically been autonomous and governed by its own laws.

''If the tribal areas fall under the control of the Taliban, this will have direct effect as it would give required boost to Afghan insurgency'', the report added.

The first sign of Taliban-like rule emerged in December last when local militants executed so called ''bandits''. ''There was a complete reign of terror and scores of residents took refuge in Banu, some 30 kilometres from Miramshah,'' says local resident Gul.

The local militants are well organised and heavily armed as many of their leaders are battle hardened members of Afghanistan's ersthwhile Taliban militia. Local criminal have also joined them.

In Wana, a strife-torn town in South Waziristan, the Taliban have set up offices which are used for recruitment as well as administering justice. They executed a 25-year-old youth for killing a taxi driver after an Islamic court found him guilty.

In Many parts of the province, the militants have forcibly closed down video and audio shops as well as internet cafes, declaring them ''unislamic''. The militants also blew up a radion station for broadcasting musical programmes.

In Tank, the Taliban have ordered barbers not to shave off their customers beards. People are also prohibited to play music even at weddings and traditional fairs.

In Dera Ismail Khan, the local Talibans prevented authorities from holding spring festival.

Similarly, the clerics set television sets on fire in Swat district. They also threatened to take stern action against local cable operators who air western channels. FM radio tranmitters set up in mosques are used to propogate their radical vision. The zealots in many cases appear to have the backing of Islamic political groups.

The emergence of local Taliban movement is dangerous as the Pakistani security forces were enganged in driving out Al-Qaeda cadre, who have taken refuge in these areas. It also indicated the government's failure to establish its writ in the border region In the beginning, Pakistan military and civil authorities did nothing to stop militants from carrying out public executions. ''The administration was under clear instruction not to impede the movements of local Taliban, who remained unchecked and continued to consolidate their position. The short-sighted policy of appeasement encouraged militants to extend their influence over a large swathe of the tribal region,'' the report added.

But the military swung into action only when they wreacked mayhem. Armed with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, the militants seized key government buildings, including the telephone exchange, killing several soliders in the first week of March.

UNI