Shah Dauran, Swat's second most wanted terrorist, may have been killed: NWFP govt

[Naveed Yaseen]

Khalid Kheshgi
PESHAWAR: Stopping short of an outright confirmation, the NWFP government says it has received reports about the killing of a senior Taliban leader and serious injuries to two others in Swat.

Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain Wednesday said Fazlullah’s deputy, Shah Dauran was reportedly killed and two top commanders of the Taliban sustained injuries in recent military strikes in Swat.

He said that search for the body of Shah Dauran continued after reports that he had been buried by his companions. The minister did not provide details, saying the government would feel no hesitation to share the facts about the death or arrest of the top command of the militants with general public through media.

During his routine briefing on Malakand situation and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Swat, Buner and Dir, the minister said that except some union councils, the whole Buner

had been cleared of the militants where the government would make formal announcement for the return of internally displaced persons to their hometowns.

“The security forces have been facing some resistance from militants in Chagharzai, Gagra and some parts of Daggar where the local people might be asked to vacate their houses ahead of final round of the current operation,” he added.

The minister said that some 420 registered internally displaced families had gone back to Buner district where the families would be provided ration and other essential items. Mian Iftikhar said an important meeting was held that was chaired by NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti Wednesday to review the problems being faced in the restoration of basic facilities like electricity, gas and telephone in the operation-hit areas in Malakand.

“After complete revival of these basic facilities, the IDPs would be formally advised to go back to their respective home towns in Swat and Dir,” he added. To a question, he said the provincial government was quite satisfied with the security forces operation against militants in Malakand division, adding that the government had honoured the peace deal and implemented Nizam-e-Adl Regulations 2009 in good faith, but the militants rather expanded their presence to adjacent Buner and Dir districts.

To another question, Iftikhar said that former Commissioner Malakand Syed Mohammad Javed was being interrogated for certain charges. “I have to say nothing except that the former commissioner was being interrogated on certain charges,” he added.

About the displaced persons from South Waziristan, the minister said that some 43,000 displaced people had settled in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu districts, but no proper camps had been established for these IDPs so far.

He said that verification of the data of in-camp and off-camp internally displaced

persons from Malakand Division was going on and the NADRA until now had received some 6,15,423 registration firms.

“Some 2,36,411 internally displaced families had been verified so far, including 25,338 registered in camps,” he added. The minister said that cash cards had been provided to the IDPs in Nowshera and Swabi districts. He added that to-date cash cards worth Rs646.20 million had been released.

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