‘Mini-3rd world war’ being fought on Pakhtun soil

The News, 15 May 2010,

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti said that an undeclared mini-Third World War was being fought on the soil of Pakhtuns for the last many years.

“The US, China, Russia, Iran, India and other big powers are involved in this war being fought in the Pakhtun belt of Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he told The News in an interview. He said the world powers needed to sit together to find a negotiated political solution to the conflict in this region. He said these countries had chosen to fight each other on Pakhtun soil.

“Whether we like it or not, America can play a big role in this region, where Pakistan and Afghanistan are the main stakeholders. Pakistan and Afghanistan should have developed trust in each other and if these two neighbouring countries come close to each other for the sake of their own people, the US should support this process,” he suggested.

He said thousands of Pakhtuns had been killed in this war of aliens which would continue for many years if the foreign forces continued interfering in the region. The chief minister said the province and the entire Pakhtun belt, being frontline region, had suffered a lot in the war against terror but unfortunately they had received meagre financial support from the international community and the federal government. “Our sacrifices and sufferings are numerous but rewards are meagre. There are so many unfulfilled pledges from the international community for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war-affected province, particularly Malakand division,” he stressed. However, he appreciated the assistance from the USAID for the development of health and education sectors in Malakand division.

Hoti said the Army would stay in Swat at the moment, as elimination of the terrorists would take time. “We are in a transition period in Swat and the gradual withdrawal of the Army troops is imminent. At the moment though the troops would stay in Swat as the people want their presence for durable peace,” he added. He said the provincial police, particularly the community police, were being trained, equipped and assisted to cope with the insurgency.

Regarding target killings and resurfacing of the terrorists in Swat and other parts of Malakand, the chief minister said these elements had disappeared and moved to other parts at the time of the military operation but were now re-assembling in groups to spoil the peaceful atmosphere in Swat. But the local community and security forces, he added, would never allow them to realise their nefarious designs. “We have dismantled their network and there is least possibility of their organised resurfacing in Swat and elsewhere in the province,” he contended.

The chief minister said the survey for damage assessment in Swat had been completed and the affected people would be compensated within a month. “For completely damaged house Rs 400,000 and partially damaged house a sum of Rs 200,000 would be provided to each family as part of compensation, for which the federal government and the international community had released Rs 2 billion and Rs 4 billion, respectively,” he explained.

About the creation of new divisions and districts in the province, he said these should be made purely on administrative ground and if there was viability for new divisions and districts, the provincial government would think over it. “This is not a political issue but an administrative matter and if an area meets all the requirements for the status of a new division and district, the government would consider it keeping in view its financial position,” he added.