Veteran politician and senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP) Mohammad Afzal Khan has said that only one fourth of the terrorists in turbulent district Swat have been eliminated while three-fourth of the elements have gone under ground.
He said that arms and ammunitions abandoned by the terrorists are being recovered with the passage of time. He expressed his concern over the increasing trend of terrorism in the region and urged the neighbouring countries to shun the policy the policy of leg pulling and devise joint strategy for restoration of sustainable peace. The veteran politician said that nobody could save itself from the menace of terrorism unless they all extend support to each other and avoid playing the 'losing game'.
He said that if the nations in Europe could unite then why not India, Pakistan and Afghanistan could form greater alliance at least to fight a common enemy. These three countries, he said could easily come closer on basis of same culture, civilisation and customs.
He said that entire Pakistan was facing the menace of militancy but Pakhtun nation was the worst affected due to its division into four different areas, who could not take a unified stand for solution to their problems. Replying to various queries, he said that Taliban had basically emerged in Kala Daka (Tor Ghar district) but they gradually reached to Swat to exploit the people's religious feelings, where the people extended them full support that succeeded in their designs to challenge the government's writ.
He opposed the suggestion of holding negotiations with Taliban, saying this exercise had already been practiced several times but bore no fruit, adding that the terrorists deserved no sympathy and needed to be dealt strictly. "Those human rightists who are talking about extra judicial killings in Swat should recall the agonies of the people who had seen their near and dear with throats slit in the streets, and lashing their women by the Taliban in parts of the district," he said.
The senior ANP leader said that he was opposed to the government's agreement with militants in Swat as he knew well about future of the pact and within few months the militants broke their commitment and once again challenged the writ of the state in Swat.
Afzal Khan Lala was also critical of the decision of the establishment of Islamic University in Swat, saying the people living in Swat are liberal and such institution was not their demand.
"I have asked the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the establishment of a modern university instead of Islamic University otherwise the government will have to rename all the universities as the Islamic universities in different districts. Referring to the establishment of Darul Qaza, he stressed the need to appoint at least two judges to start function. He said about one fourth of the militants had been arrested in Swat who were still alive, adding that the people of Swat wanted the arrested people be killed as they had shed blood of the innocent people. He said it was still a mystery for the people as to where the rest of Taliban have gone.
The people of Swat, he said used to come to Peshawar in connection with their cases and if the Darul Qaza was established it could alleviate miseries of the masses. He said that the security forces had restored peace in the district but it would take time to eradicate the terrorists completely.