InfoAnda - Schools open in Pakistan's Swat despite Taliban fear

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

'Wonderful Life' actor Stewart makes Aviation Hall | 19 July 2009
Macau's sole leadership candidate denies link to land deal | 12 July 2009
World No. 4 smartphone maker sees shipments up 20 pct | 20 June 2009

US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary | 4 April 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Schools open in Pakistan's Swat despite Taliban fear

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Search Search: Schools open in Pakistan's Swat despite Taliban fear Reuters - Monday, August 3 By Kamran Haider ADVERTISEMENT MINGORA, Pakistan - Pakistan re-opened schools over the weekend in the Swat valley where troops have been fighting Taliban guerrillas for over three months. While hundreds of thousands of people who fled Swat to escape the fighting have now returned home, getting back to normal life will take longer in a region still under military curfew. But the sight of children going to school lifted morale. "It's a milestone," said Atif-ur-Rehman, the top government official in the region after classes resumed on Saturday. "It's been heartening to see boys and girls going to school in uniform," he said, rueing a lack of transport that meant many missed their first day back. Girls' schools, in particular, had been one of the Taliban's main targets during a campaign to enforce their own severe interpretation of Islamic law in the region hitherto known for its alpine beauty and passive people. Where school buildings were either destroyed or badly damaged, classes were conducted under a canopy to provide shade from the fierce summer sun. Most of the Taliban may have been either killed or driven out of the valley by the army's offensive, but their threat still haunts the people. "People are scared that if they visit markets, the Taliban may come and harass them," Omar Sherin, a 55 year-old civil engineer said, while accompanying the womenfolk of his family shopping for clothes in Mingora. "It will take time. You don't expect normalcy will return overnight. Their confidence has been shaken. They've been terrorised." A decapitated policeman's body dumped early last week on the outskirts of Mingora, Swat's main town, was just one deadly reminder that the Taliban haven't gone away entirely. Last month, the government opened up Swat and neighbouring districts for more than two million displaced people after the military said 90 percent of the region had been cleared. According to the military, nearly 1,800 militants have been killed during the campaign, but there is no way of independently verifying casualties. "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" The main pockets of resistance are towards the north of the broad alpine valley, that was once a favoured destination for honeymooners and trekkers. There are also doubts over whether the army has managed to eliminate many of the militants leaders. Just last week, Fazlullah, the commander of the Taliban in Swat, otherwise known as "Mullah Radio" because of his fondness for delivering messages on FM radio, stamped his defiance. In an audio-recording played down the telephone by a Taliban spokesman to Reuters and other media, Fazlullah said the struggle would go on until Islamic sharia law was enforced in the valley. The people of Swat got a taste of the Taliban's idea of Islamic law during the past two years, as the militants slaughtered rivals and hanged their bodies in public, flogged women, closed music and video shops and banned shaving beards. In a vain effort to appease the militants the government had agreed in April to the introduction of Islamic law, albeit not the Taliban's extreme version, in Swat and other parts of the Malakand region of North West Frontier Province. But when it became clear that the militants would not be satisfied, and their fighters slipped into the neighbouring Buner valley, just 100 km from Islamabad, the army was ordered to mount a campaign. Public opinion, which in the past had wavered over the use of force against fellow Muslim Pakistanis, finally got behind the government. Irfanullah Khan, a goldsmith in Mingora, said he would migrate to another city in Pakistan if the Taliban reemerge. "We'll leave this town forever. We have heard them carrying out operations in the past but they stopped them at a certain stage but not now, they have to finish them. Enough is enough." The next milestones in Swat's recovery will be the return of political leaders and the re-establishment of administrative and judicial systems, but the army will have to provide security as police cannot match well-armed Taliban fighters. Many demand that the government should make its departments, especially police and courts, efficient and corruption-free as that would block the militants' return. "We all need to change our attitudes. The system needs improvement, overhauling otherwise the Taliban will reemerge," Arshad Hussain Khan, a cloth merchant, told Reuters. Khan was scathing about the behaviour of politicians who were supposed to be with the people. "How can you encourage people to come back to normal life if their representatives haven't returned?" he asked bitterly. "If someone bothers to visit here, he comes in a helicopter and roams around with security guards. What message are they giving their people?" Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: Asia Pacific China energy efficiency 'improves in first half'AFP - Monday, August 3 China bans bad breath in space: reportAFP - Monday, August 3 Aquino's family declines state funeral offerReuters - Monday, August 3 N.Korea agrees to streamline border crossingAFP - Monday, August 3 Strong quake strikes eastern IndonesiaAFP - Monday, August 3 Most Popular – Asia Pacific Viewed Comets probably won't cause the end of life as we know it: study Organic food not healthier, says British study Madonna writes of her spiritual awakening Beer flows as Obama tries to cool down a hot furor Obama: stimulus helped 'put brakes' on recession View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Sunday, 2 August 2009
One French, three US soldiers killed in Afghan attacks
Karzai promises Afghan voters a brighter future
Afghan poll workers ambushed; U.S. soldiers killed | International |
Passengers on swine flu cruise liner allowed ashore
Iraqis fear al Qaeda violence after mosque bombs
Honduran pro-Zelaya protester dies after shooting | International |
Fatah to hold congress despite Hamas ban | International |
Militant urges targeting China over Uighurs | International |
India mulls late-night TV as population control
Former Philippine leader Aquino dies
Iran says three US nationals arrested near Iraq border
Malaysia police use tear gas against mass protest
New York airport terminal evacuated due to suspicious bag
Japan PM flags N.Korea abductions ahead of vote
Apple, labels stir up deluxe digital Cocktail | Technology |
Schools reopen in NW Pakistan after Taliban offensive
Hollywood stars visit Havana amid U.S.-Cuba thaw
Actor Jude Law to be father to fourth child
Afghan mission falls short of expectations: lawmakers
Forest fires rage on Spanish island, 4,000 evacuated
New robots help humans cope with illness
Dalai Lama urges global cooperation in economic crisis
Iran tries 100 reformists over election unrest | International |
Abdullah campaign king in Afghan vote hunt
Gunman kills 2 at Tel Aviv club for gay youths | International |
Malaysian newspapers face challenge from online media
Cuba set to unveil belt-tightening steps amid crisis
US-TECH Summary
Gunman kills 2 at Tel Aviv club for gay youths
Steyn breaks record as Boks beat All Blacks again
Castro to U.S.: communist Cuba will not change | International |
Iraqi death toll down in July after US handover
Apple, labels stir up deluxe digital Cocktail
Iran reformists back down in court as 100 face riot trial
Ousted Honduran president vows peaceful resistance | International |
Iran tries 100 reformists over election unrest
China-based cyber attack hits Australia film festival site
Afghan campaign worker attacked, guard killed
Yahoo Labs chief sees real-time search opportunity
Apple fixes iPhone SMS vulnerability
China win women's medley relay world title in world record
Dalai Lama urges global cooperation in economic crisis
Castro to U.S.: communist Cuba will not change
Militant urges targeting China over Uighurs
Steyn breaks rugby point record as Boks beat All Blacks
Flower still harbours victory hopes after Ashes washout
S.Korea first rocket launch set for August 11
Six Christians killed in Pakistan over Koran 'insult'
N.Korea 'helping Myanmar build nuclear plant': report
Dems look to limit increases in cost of insurance
Pakistan arrests suspect in Marriott hotel bombing
Malaysian police arrest hundreds in protest
Ore. faith-healing father gets 60 days in jail
Kentucky man charged in '80 slaying of Wis. couple
US Mint must seek court OK to keep rare 1933 coins
Popularity, Web snafus nearly broke 'clunkers'
China steel output to grow despite falling demand
Tight credit could limit eurozone growth: analysts
Talks collapse at troubled SKorean auto firm
S.Korea sees FX reserves rising up to $270 bln-reports
Couples wed on boat during Amsterdam gay pride
Chaos hits French holiday drivers: officials
Two Killed Changing Flat Tire On Highway In Massachusetts
Stockholm turns rainbow-coloured for gay pride
House Committee Approves Healthcare Bill
One U.S., Three French Soldiers Die In Afghanistan
Tens of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses meet in France
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Update: Flights Resume At LaGuardia Airport After A Bomb Hoax
Q&A: Juliette Lewis pushes to the limit with new band
Billboard singles reviews: Brad Paisley, Jay-Z
More Mozart: 2 new pieces being unveiled
Princess wins suit against German publisher
Peter Andre wins libel case over sex claims
Israel evicts Palestinians from Jerusalem homes
Five Russians killed in northern Caucasus: reports
Khatami condemns Iran's show trial of reformists | International |
Head of English Catholics warns about emails/texting
India's board backs stars in anti-doping row
Maliki on first visit to Iraqi Kurdistan
Israeli gays' safe haven turns deadly | International |
Maliki on first visit to Iraqi Kurd region as PM
Merkel urged to stand up to Obama on Opel jobs
Iraq's Tareq Aziz gets 7 years jail in Kurds case | International |
Five foreign troops killed in Afghanistan | International |
Iran's Khatami denounces trial of protesters
Swine flu: rich nations' spending spurs ethics row
Latest in string of west Iraq bombings kills six | International |
More than 700 killed in Nigeria clashes: Red Cross | International |
Schools open in Pakistan's Swat despite Taliban fear | International |
Aquino's family declines state funeral offer | International |
Plane with 16 people missing in Indonesia's Papua | International |
Israel opens West Bank road to Palestinian traffic | International |
Sony Pictures invests in new Zhang Yimou movie
Sony plugs Google's library into e-readers
Three US, two NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Wildfires ravage Canada's British Columbia
Aquino's family declines state funeral offer
Head of English Catholics warns about emails/texting | Technology |
Strong quake strikes eastern Indonesia
Schools open in Pakistan's Swat despite Taliban fear
Lawyers still hope Suu Kyi will be freed
Plane with 16 people missing in Indonesia's Papua
Bollywood star Shetty dismisses temple complaint
'Cash for clunkers' rebates survive _ for weekend
China town sealed off after pneumonic plague kills 1
Man who threatened Obama sentenced to probation
Talks collapse at troubled SKorean auto firm
Thousands mourn ex-Philippine president Aquino
Chicken tikka masala claims its origins in Scotland
Mitsubishi UFJ arranges $5 bln loan to UAE: report
Turbulence in Indian skies as airlines plan strike
Chinese manufacturing expands in July
Newly discovered Mozart works played in Austria | Entertainment |
Indonesia files charges in Freeport mine shootings
Newly discovered Mozart pieces performed in Austria
WHO: Breastfeeding Saves Lives In Emergencies
Remains Of First U.S. Gulf War Pilot Shot Down Identified
Shuttered factories, shattered lives in US rust belt
Austrian has Indiana Jones moment in Mongolia
Cambodians begin to learn of bloody past
Sony Pictures invests in new Zhang Yimou movie
Academy's 'Keeper of the Oscars' dead at 48
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01