Taliban has sympathisers in Pak, in its army: NYT

New York: While Pakistan has initiated a military offensive against Taliban under immense international pressure, the army may be divided on its resolve to root them out from there, a leading US daily has reported.

A report in the New York Times said that amid the chaos in Pakistan, the United States - which has expressed concerns about the “existential threat” and has vowed to provide huge financial aid to thwart it - still remains unpopular in Pakistan.

The report also says that despite the increasing Taliban threat, some religious parties still sympathise with the outlawed outfit.

The now “tattered” Swat peace deal was popular among the people of the region because they hoped that the accord will bring peace to the restive valley which had been facing a war like situation for the last two years.

Large numbers of people, who are now forced to flee from regions like Buner and Swat, have criticised the military operation as it has left them homeless.

Now that the peace deal is in tatters, it is also evident that TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad does not have any control over the militia.

The extent of unwillingness of some of the military officials to fight against the Taliban can be gauged from the statements of a Supreme Court lawyer Anees Jillani.

Jillani recently visited Swat and found out that there were many army officials who were hesitant to fight against the extremists.

“When you ask them why you are not defeating them, they ask: ‘Why should we?’ And you ask about Sufi Muhammad, they say: ‘What’s wrong with him?” the newspaper quoted Jillani, as saying.

Some political parties are also against the offensive, and have blamed the government of breaking the deal.

General Secretary of the Jamiat-u-Ulama-i-Islam-S, Yousuf Shah said the government failed to keep its part of the Swat deal that is why the TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad failed to convince the Taliban fighters.

“For 20 years these people have been struggling peacefully for Shariah, but it was no use.It is a natural thing when democratic avenues are not working to take up arms,” Shah said.