President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday vowed to rein in Taliban militants in north-western Swat valley and prevent them from establishing their own courts, a government spokesman said. 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 told AFP.
"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. 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.
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 - in a speech on his personal radio station this week- released the names of 40 people, including provincial ministers, MPs and local government officials "wanted" by the Taliban. The cleric had asked them to appear before a Taliban court or face death, blaming them for the unrest in the area.
"The president praised his (Lala's) resolve not to give in before the militants and said that the militants will not be allowed to impose their ideology and political agenda on the people through the barrel of the gun," Babar said.
Pakistan's army chief Ashfaq Kayani on Wednesday visited the Swat valley for the first time since a military crackdown on religious extremists began and vowed to restore government authority to the region. Once a popular mountain resort, Swat has descended into chaos in recent months, with pitched battles between militants and security forces.