Swat residents recall Taliban’s reign of terror

SWAT: The reign of terror unleashed by Taliban insurgents, led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah or Mullah Radio, has ended in the scenic valley of Swat – thanks to the timely action of the government and the army. Scores of insurgents were killed in action and many were arrested. Those on the run, however, are now surrendering to the authorities.

Recently, Qari Sohail, a close aide of Maulana Fazlullah and in charge of his infamous FM radio, laid down his arms, much to the relief of residents of Charbagh tehsil of Swat district. The radical cleric used by the firebrand cleric for preaching his own version of Islamic teachings. At the same time, it was also used to transmit threats to opponents of Maulana Fazlullah.

Though security forces have purged Swat of Taliban rebels, painful memories of their ruthless rule are still fresh in the minds of local residents.

“The militants had made our lives miserable. They not only wanted to enforce their own hard-line version of Islam in the region but also extorted huge sums of money from well-off people,” Tahir Shah, the former mayor of Charbagh tehsil said. “They snatched two vehicles from me, but I could say nothing,” he told The Express Tribune.

Many people question “the government’s slackness” in checking the Taliban propaganda at an initial stage. “The FM radio of Maulana Fazlullah was the root cause of the trouble in Swat. We fail to understand why the government was unable to block or stop it,” said Shahid Iqbal.

About the profligacy of the Taliban, he said, “They had a lavish lifestyle. They squandered money, using costly mobile phones and eating sumptuous food.” He recalled how the insurgents had once made the residents of Charbagh offer their Eid prayers in a muddy field.

“The Taliban did not like local tribal elders who were opposed to their high-handedness,” said Syed Ghulam, a teacher from Ashar Banr village. “They killed several local elders without mercy,” he added.

Ghulam’s brother was also killed by the Taliban. “My brother had gone to another village along with his family to see some relatives. On his way back Taliban militants snatched him from the vehicle and shot him dead right in front of the family,” Ghulam said. “Our family hasn’t been able to recover from this loss,” he added.

A teacher at a madrassa in Kabal tehsil also recalled the tyrannical rule of the Taliban. “They ran amok, killing people ruthlessly and destroying government buildings at will. And nobody dared challenge them,” he told The Express Tribune. “The desperadoes wanted to solve every problem through the barrel of the gun. They knew no mercy,” he added.

He was happy that the security forces had flushed out the militants from most parts of the district. “Thanks God, we are getting rid of them one by one,” he said.

Swat is limping back to normalcy but residents say the government should award harsh punishment to the militants, so that nobody in future dare challenge its writ in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2010.