Militants think they can take what they want on basis of power (guns) so why'd they go 'democratic' way?
exactly. this disincentivizes any reason for participation in the democratic process. it dispenses with the need to care for public support and opinion. Just get enough guns and fight the army long enough or bomb enough people, and you'll get your little piece of land to rule over.
were even these whackjobs forced to try and get their shariah utopia through the system, who knows, they might have to think about appealing to people, winning them over, maybe they might need to appeal to the female segment by removing burn-girl-schools from the agenda and so on.
Inevitable and frankly good. We know the solution here is force, massive force-there is no other language these animals understand. Let us at least be glad that their intention is public again, with no veneer of morality to it.
Why? It doesnot make any sense. If karazai Government fails, Taliban of Mullah Omar will ultimately take over. That should satisfy the need of securing western borders. Army should get out of this mess otherwise "Kashmir latay latay to East Pakistan chala gya, baqi aadhay se bhi kum jo Pakistan bacha gya hay, kya us kay bi tukrhay karna chahatay hain?
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has sent a bill introducing Sharia law in the Swat region to parliament, amid controversy both at home and abroad.
The implementation of Islamic justice was agreed in February in return for an end to the Taleban insurgency.
It had been thought Mr Zardari would directly sign the bill into law.
On Friday the cleric mediating the deal, Sufi Mohammad, said he was leaving the region in protest at the failure to finalise the agreement.
The bill introducing Sharia courts in the troubled Malakand division, comprising six north-western districts including Swat, has been sent to parliament for consideration.
It is unclear whether there will be a vote on Monday.
The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says the step is apparently meant to develop national consensus on an issue which is highly controversial and over which many within the country and abroad have expressed reservations.
The secular ANP party, which governs North West Frontier Province and which negotiated the bill with Sufi Mohammad, is unhappy with Mr Zardari's decision to send the bill to parliament.
NWFP information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told the media the president had not discussed the change of tactics with the ANP.
A spokesman for the Taleban, Muslim Khan, told the Associated Press news agency that MPs who opposed the deal in parliament would be considered apostates.
Apostasy, or abandoning Islam, can in some areas mean the death penalty.
Sufi Mohammad had set up a peace camp in the main town of Mingora but on Friday said he was returning to his village in protest at the turn of events.
Swat is mostly under Taleban control. Thousands of people have fled and hundreds of schools have been destroyed since they began their insurgency there in 2007.
** Sharia courts began operating last month and have been welcomed by many in the region as a quick and efficient means of justice.**
However, there have also been reports of controversial punishments.
From the outset of the deal, the US feared it might "become a surrender" to militants.
This is great. Fazlullah, the murdering thug is now leading prayers and the obedient government and army are sitting like little kids following his path of jeehad. Basically, he just showed that if you kill enough pakistani soldiers they will follow your lead in prayer. Maybe US will try the same tactic.
Fazlullah, the leader of Swat Taliban, led the prayer at his home village, Mamdirai on Friday, April 3. He was warmly received by his followers, as well as military officials and officials of the district administration. Those who prayed behind him were key military and civil officers—including Brigadier Tahir Mubeen, Syed Javed Hussain, the commissioner of Malakand region, Khushhal Khan, the DCO of Swat, Danishwar Khan, SwatÕs DPO and the man in charge of Operation Rah-e-Haq. After the prayers Fazlullah gave an emotional and threatening speech which was heard with zeal and respect by all, including the military and civil officials, like obedient subjects. How funny is it that key state functionaries are praying behind the terrorist who killed soldiers of the Pakistani army, NWFP police officers and civilians of the Valley. During the telephone conversation with this writer Afzal Khan Lala said: ‘There cannot be two swords in one sheathe. There cannot be two kings of one land. In Swat one king is Fazlullah and the other the government.’ The conduct of the state functionaries in Swat showed who the real king of Swat is.
The people of Swat owe an explanation from the Pakistani army and the government of the NWFP. Would the army care to explain why its commander in Swat was offering namaz behind the terrorists who killed soldiers of the army and policemen? Would the ANP government care to explain why its senior-level government servants pray behind a terrorist who killed civilians in the very constituency that elected the ANP to power? It is also pertinent to mention that police in Swat have registered at least 60 cases related to suicide bombings, kidnappings, attacks on civilians, police and armed forces and damage to public and private property against Fazlullah.