Fears grip Swat

Intense fear grips Swat as prospect of a bloody showdown looms after hundreds of thousands of ethnic Pukhtoons, led by a hard-line militant commander, flex muscles to take on security forces moving into the valley.
Maulvi Fazlullah, the son-in-law of a local cleric, who spearheaded a movement to enforce Islamic rule or Sharia in the area in mid 90s, last week warned of suicide bombing and armed resistance if military operation was launched. "The government should think twice before use of force here," the daring message came from Fazlullah in a television interview.
Thousands of troops backed by armed personnel carriers and tanks are now heading towards the troubled region in a difficult mountainous terrain of North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Equally busy in preparations for a "holy war" are huge number of heavily-armed but traditionally-trained men from two of three subdivisions in Swat district.
A resident of Mangora area near militants' strongholds Matta and Kabal regions told Business Recorder on Friday through telephone that tension was high and people were frightened as they expected battles between forces and militants. People from Mardan district said they had seen several dozens military vehicles carrying soldiers and weaponry moving to the conflicting zone.
Security officials in Islamabad confirmed troops from Azad Kashmir Regiment were being sent to fight 'trouble-makers' in Swat. Regular army including commandos and paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) started massive movement to the valley on Thursday after a suicide bombing killed three policemen in Takhtaband area near Mangora. Authorities were also expecting a violent reaction of military assault on an Islamabad mosque.
President Musharraf on Thursday said he would continue crushing militancy and religious extremism anywhere in Pakistan especially in NWFP and tribal areas near Afghan border. Fazlullah is son-in-law of Sufi Muhammad, who spearheaded a movement to enforce strict Islamic rule or Sharia in nearby Malakand tribal agency in mid 90s.
Muhammad is undergoing imprisonment in a jail in Dera Ismail Khan district of NWFP these days. His Tehrik-e-Nifas-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) still survives. Though administration of TNSF has denied any link with Fazlullah threat, locals said he had a support of thousands in Kabal and Matta subdivisions of Swat.
The third subdivision Mangora (Sadu Sharif) is, however, relatively a peaceful region. Few days back, thousands of armed men gathered at his stronghold Mam Dheri village and vowed to fight against army if attacked. They collected half a million rupees for holy war and tested their weapons.
Every household in these areas of NWFP usually own weapons like Kalashnikovs, 7 mm and light machine guns and in some cases rocket launchers and grenades. Suicide bombings and mortars attacks on paramilitary have become a routine in tribal areas since Pakistan joined US-led war on terror back in 2001.