Pakistan: Taliban 60 Miles From Islamabad

Pakistan Government’s appeasement policy seems to be boomeranging. The Taliban has seized control of the strategically important district of Buner near Islamabad, provoking fears that militants are attempting to spread their insurgency and their extreme brand of Islam, reports The Independent.

“The seizure by militants of the district in recent days underlines the strength of the insurgency and its ability to advance from the neighbouring Swat Valley which the Taliban controls, into the heart of Pakistan.

“The push by the Taliban and the associated violence has raised alarm in Washington. Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary, yesterday warned of the ‘existential threat’ to the democratic government of Pakistan.

“His comments came a day after Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, blasted the Pakistani leadership for ‘abdicating’ to the Taliban by allowing it to impose Sharia law in the Swat Valley.

“In recent days, Taliban militants have used Swat as a staging ground for incursions into Buner. They have taken over the shrine of Pir Baba, a venerated Sufi saint, and established a makeshift sharia court. Masked gunmen have also erected checkpoints, begun patrolling the streets and barring women from public places.

“In scenes starkly reminiscent of the Taliban’s takeover of Swat, hundreds of local residents, some of whom formed an anti-Taliban local militia to rebuff an encroachment last year, have fled. More here…

A leading article says: With hindsight, it may be asked whether the concessions made by the government of Asif Ali Zardari that agreed a military truce and sanctioned the introduction of Sharia law into the Swat Valley were mistaken. Both moves undoubtedly signalled a retreat by the central government. More here…

Pakistani television stations aired footage of Taliban soldiers looting government offices and capturing vehicles belonging to aid organizations and development projects. More here…

Photo above courtesy The Independent: A Pakistani barber looks out from his shop window in the Buner district. The words are a warning scrawled by the Taliban and read: ‘Do not shave.’