Area
of North Waziristan Agency, on the border between Pakistan and
Afghanistan and part of Federally Administered Tribal Areas of
Pakistan, is perhaps one of the most dangerous areas in the world.
Dandey Darpa khel village lies about five Kilometres north of
Miranshah town, administrative headquarters of the North Waziristan
Agency. This sleepy village and surrounding areas were once the hub
of a terrorist network known as the Haqqani network, led by Pakistani
Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud,
a militant faction blamed for some of the most high-profile attacks
in Afghanistan in recent years. Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed by a
United States drone strike in first week of November 2014.
In
spite of his being killed, Mehsud continued to be a hero with his
followers in this region. His followers considered it a duty or a
honour to keep distinctive long-haired, bearded look and flowing
hair locks, just like him. The trend had become so common that, when
we think of a person believed to be a terrorist, we naturally assume
that he would have a long-haired, bearded look. Over the years,
Taliban have terrorised people of north Vaziristan by bombing and
maiming thousands of people in their fight to install an austere
syariah regime in Pakistan.
Pakistan's
federal Government have been trying to open a dialogue with North
Vaziristan terrorists for quite some time now. However things have
only changed from bad to worst. Pakistani army finally told the
Government that they have decided to move in north Vaziristan for the
final push to solve the problem once and for all. The recent attack
on Karachi airport by terrorists is believed to be in response to
the Pakistani army's likely offensive.
However,
as the news of imminent Pakistani offensive in North Vaziristan broke
out, there was wide spread panic for the ordinary people of North
Vaziristan and nearly half a million fled, some to Afghanistan, after
crossing the border. Thousands of refugees have poured across the
lawless border into ramshackle camps on rugged hills in Afghanistan.
Afghan Authorities in Khost province are offering a warm welcome and
do whatever little they can to shelter the newcomers.
However
their principal worry is that of Taliban militants may be hiding
amongst the refugees. Afghan intelligence officers and the army are
uneasy because some refugees from North Waziristan province could be
actually Islamist activists of the Pakistani Taliban, the target of
Pakistan's offensive. It appears that their worry is based on real
facts because of the conformation, that has come from somewhere else.
Most
of the people who have fled North Vaziristan have actually moved to
Bannu, the principal city of the Bannu District in adjoining Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. About 70% of them are possibly
women and children. It is not known whether the displaced people, who
include 86 Hindu and Christian families, would be able to return from
their camps in Bannu town to their homes. The displaced Hindus and
Christians have taken shelter in two missionary schools in the
town—Janbaz Catholic Missionary School and Pannell Missionary High
School.
Mr
Azam Khan is one such refugee, who has fled North Vaziristan to Bannu
and works as a barber. Just a month back, he was one of the top
barbers in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan. He says that
his barber business boomed in the months leading up to the assault
because terrorists, all alikes of Hakimullah Mehsud, now wanted to
shed their distinctive long-haired, bearded look. Another Miranshah
shopkeeper Hikmatullah Khan says that these fighters were indulging
themselves with fancy imported goods and stocking up on grooming
products. Mr Azam Khan adds:
"I
trimmed the hair and beards of more than 700 local and Uzbek
militants ahead of the offensive. I once snipped the hair of Taleban
commanders to match the flowing locks of former Tehreek-e-Taleban
Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud. The same leaders came asking
to have their beards and hair trimmed very short, saying they were
going to the Gulf and wanted to avoid problems at Pakistani
airports.”
I find
this very interesting from human behaviour point of view. With the
fear of real Pakistani army onslaught on them, these fundamentalist
terrorists, who earlier wanted to impose an austere syariah regime on
others, actually wanted to suddenly change their appearance, which
proves that the fear is the real key to our behaviour even for a
terrorist.
8th
July 2014
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