Urdu Reports on Waziristan, FATA

BBC's Haroon Rashid reports on Waziristan (FATA) in Urdu here

The local resident in the middle of the video (at 3:28 min) confirms what many have already alleged about the Pakistani security apparatus for a long time (see NY Times, for example). That they haven't seriously taken on the Taliban in the area. They may have indeed retained their old, Afghan War connections (Ahmed Rashid, Najam Sethi) with some strands of local and foreign Talibans. That military operations have mostly devastated the local residents/tribes. Out of fear and for protection, the locals are increasingly aligning with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant organization formed by the Mesuds of South Waziristan and aspiring to become an umbrella organization for various other militant groups in FATA.

The 'joke' in the video about halal-ing the journalist was sick, to say the least. One can only imagine the state of mind from which that suggestion came out. The US-Saudi Afghan War training of 'plucking out enemy's eyes and cutting off their legs' is paying off quite well, I guess.

Also see:

Hamid Mir reports in Urdu on FATA situation. He speaks in his typical sensational tone, but there is some truth to what he is telling. I feel he is being careful to name only the Taliban without emphasizing their connections with the establishment too much. Quite ironically, he suggests that the military is fearful of going after the Taliban!