Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari vowed to rein in Taliban militants in northwestern Swat valley, a spokesman said on Wednesday, amid efforts to wrest back the area.
Zardari spoke by telephone to a senior Swat politician, Afzal Khan Lala, to congratulate him over his “courageous stand” against militants and offered him full support, spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
“The president vowed that the Taliban will not be allowed to set up parallel courts and call people to appear before them or face death,” Babar said.
Pakistan’s military is battling extremists loyal to radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah waging a violent campaign to introduce Islamic Sharia law in a valley that once attracted Western holidaymakers to its snow-capped peaks.
Fazlullah this week released the names of 40 people, including provincial ministers, lawmakers and local government officials “wanted” by the Taliban.
The cleric had told them to appear before a Taliban court or face death, blaming them for the unrest in the area.
Lala, a veteran politician of the ruling Awami National Party who lives in the rural town of Druskhela in the troubled Swat valley, had refused to leave the area after threats from militants.
Fazlullah’s men have executed dozens of state employees and government supporters, while residents say government control is practically non-existent.
Pakistan’s army chief on Wednesday visited the Swat valley for the first time since a military crackdown on religious extremists began and vowed to restore government authority there.
General Ashfaq Kayani visited Swat where he was briefed on the prevailing situation, said the military.
“While giving fresh directions for the operations in Swat, he reiterated that [the] army had both the will and resolve to establish writ of the Government,” it said in a statement.
Kayani addressed the troops saying “no amount of sacrifice will deter us to do our duty” and “lauded the morale” of troops bogged down in the mountainous region that has become synonymous with Pakistan’s struggle against extremism.
His visit came as security forces found eight bullet-ridden bodies in the latest evidence of a deteriorating security situation.
The bodies were found in Minglore, where government security forces have been operating against militants loyal to Fazlullah.
“Five bodies were recovered from one place and three from another,” a security official said on condition of anonymity. “The bodies were riddled with bullets.”
Local residents said all eight were civilians.
It was not clear whether they were killed during the military offensive or executed by extremists determined to introduce Sharia law to Swat.
Separately, troops in Minglore and Sangota village killed seven militants and injured 11 others, a military statement said late on Wednesday.
“Today security forces killed seven militants and injured 11 others during an operation in Minglore and Sangota,” it said, adding that forces “consolidated” their hold in the area.
The authorities have stepped up efforts to win back control of the area, placing several towns under a curfew with orders to shoot violators on sight.
On Wednesday, the army lifted a curfew on the region’s main city of Mingora, military spokesman Major Nasir Khan said.
Once a popular mountain resort, Swat has descended into chaos in recent months, with pitched battles between militants and security forces.
“The situation in Swat has gone from bad to worse and is not under control of the civil administration,” said Senator Ilyas Bilour, whose party leads the local provincial government.
“The Taliban have control over 90 percent of the area and want to implement their own agenda there,” he said.
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