FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, MARCH 14

C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000065


E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/30/2019
TAGS: PTER MOPS PGOV PK
SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP: WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, MARCH 14
- MARCH 20

REF: A) PESHAWAR 54 B) PESHAWAR 55 C) PESHAWAR 49


CLASSIFIED BY: Michael A. Via, Acting Principal Officer,
Peshawar, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)


Introduction
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1. (SBU) In accordance with the Nizam-e-Adl "system of justice,"
widely viewed as Shari'a law, Qazi judges began presiding over
cases in Swat March 17, displacing the role of civil judges.
Tehrik Nefaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) Chief Sufi Mohammad
asked civil judges to stop coming to court on March 16; the
Northwest Frontier Provincial government reportedly issued
orders to civil judges on March 18 to stay home. Police
returned to their stations in some areas of Swat on March 17,
while some residents demanded the withdrawal of army forces from
the valley.


2. (C) The threat environment in Peshawar remained volatile
during the third week in March, with two attacks on cargo
terminals on March 15 and 16, and militants armed with rocket
launchers and other weapons patrolling city roads during the
afternoon of March 18.

Swat
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3. (SBU) The following is a summary of events in Swat, where a
recent peace agreement and Qazi courts are being implemented:

March 16, Mingora: Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM)
Chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad asked judicial officers to stop
coming to courts and said that any further court proceedings
would be in violation of the agreement signed by the government.
Local reports indicate that women remain absent from the
markets.

March 17, Swat: Courts in the valley stopped functioning after
TNSM Chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad announced that these courts
were against Shari'a and their continued functioning would be a
violation of the agreement signed by the provincial government.
(Ref B) Two Qazis reviewed 30 cases in Mingora, but referred
all the petitioners to police for mediation or investigation.
One newspaper report hailed the restoration of the government's
writ in some areas of Swat, describing the deployment of police
in Charbagh and Khawazakhel police stations.

March 18, Swat: The NWFP government reportedly directed judges
of subordinate judiciary of the Peshawar High Court in Swat not
to attend courts and restrict themselves to their houses due to
security concerns.

Bajaur and Mohmand
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4. (SBU) The following is a summary of events in Bajaur and
Mohmand Agencies, where the Pakistani military has been
conducting military operations since August 2008:

March 16, Khar: Local press reports indicated that displaced
persons had begun returning to their homes after the taliban
announced a unilateral ceasefire and the Mamoond tribe and the
authorities signed a peace agreement to bring law and order
under control in Bajaur Agency.

March 17, Ghalanai: Gunship helicopters reportedly killed four
militants throughout the agency.

NWFP
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5. (C) The following incidents have occurred in the Provincially
Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) and settled areas of the
Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) according to press and
consulate contacts:

March 15, Lower Dir: Four United Nations officials from the
World Food Program were reportedly kidnapped after distributing
food and oil to students of government-run schools.

March 15, Peshawar: Approximately 100 militants overpowered
four guards at a terminal for trucks carrying supplies for NATO
forces in Afghanistan and burned 20 trailers with military
cargo. (Ref A)

March 15, Dera Ismail Khan: In an apparent sectarian attack,
two Sunnis were killed while coming out of a mosque.

March 16, Peshawar: In the second attack in two days,
approximately 60 militants broke into Al-Faisal Terminal on Ring
Road and destroyed 30 vehicles.

March 17, Peshawar: A beheaded body was found with a note
accusing the deceased of "spying for the enemy."

March 18, Mardan: Militant threats have reportedly forced
hundreds of compact disc (CDs) dealers to pack up.

March 18, Peshawar: Demonstrating that Peshawar's security
environment remains volatile, militants armed with rocket
launchers and other weapons reportedly patrolled city roads.
Militants riding in a dozen double-cabin pickup trucks patrolled
Ring Road and Bara Road in the middle of the afternoon. (Ref.
C)

March 18, Lower Dir: Militants attacked a police mobile van at
the main entrance to the University of Malakand at Chakdara,
killing four policemen and a University watchman.

FATA
- - -


6. (U) The following is a roundup of incidents of talibanization
in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Frontier
Regions:

March 16, FR Bannu: Missiles fired on a reputed militant
hideout in Janikhel reportedly killed two militants, including a
foreign fighter.

Government Response
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7. (SBU) This is a summary of government responses to "creeping
talibanization" according to press and consulate contacts:

March 16, Darra Adam Khel: Representatives of the army,
political administration and government reportedly convinced the
Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) in Darra to announce a ceasefire until
March 30.

March 17, Charsadda: Police claimed to arrest a would-be
suicide bomber, a teacher at a madrassah, in a raid which seized
explosives, a Kalashnikov, 70 cassettes and jihadi literature.

Grass Roots Efforts to Halt Talibanization
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8. (U) The following events are examples of activities taken by
local communities to halt the spread of Talibanization:

March 17, Lower Dir: Adenzai tribesmen blocked the
Peshawar-Chitral Road to protest the growing number of
kidnappings for ransom in the area.

March 17, Swat: Thousands of citizens protested in Kabal tehsil
for the restoration of peace through adherence to the peace deal.


VIA