Stop the music: Taliban pamphlet spreads panic in FR Peshawar

Locals fear return of militants

PESHAWAR: A pamphlet—suspected to have been issued by militants—asking locals to stop playing music was seen in parts of Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar during Eidul Azha. This development, though initially taken as a prank, created some panic among residents.

Talking to The Express Tribune, an elder said the pamphlet appeared in Bazargai area in Hassan Khel and other
parts of the semi-autonomous region. “It was handwritten in Urdu,” he said, adding “Tehreek-e-Taliban” was inscribed on the header and footer of the paper. “Stop playing music as it is unIslamic,” was written on it, according to the elder.

“Initially, we thought it was a hoax when it appeared in Bazargai. However, the same pamphlet was also pasted on the walls of Zayri and other parts of Hassan Khel,” he explained. He believed this indicated that militants were present in the area once again.

Until recently, FR Peshawar was considered a hub of militancy, but it was cleared after a number of operations.

“After the Badhaber PAF basecamp attack, it is no longer a secret that militants are present in the area and this panicked our people,” said another local. A khasadar official said the force had been informed about the pamphlets, which had been removed by the time they reached the sites. He added it was impossible for militants to stage a comeback in FR Peshawar; especially with a strong presence of security forces in adjacent areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2015.