The Times of India
Taliban knocks on Peshawar's door 11 Mar 2009, 0120 hrs IST, Omer Farooq Khan, TNN
PESHAWAR: Arbab Alamgir is a prosperous businessman in Peshawar who has made a mark in politics as federal communications minister. But that's unlikely to protect him this time.
As the Taliban knock on Peshawar's door, Alamgir is preparing to wind up his business and move out of his native city. "I received letters and phone calls from Lashkar-e-Islam of Mangal Bagh to close down my women's garment shops on Jamrood Road," Alamgir told The Times of India.
After tasting victory in Swat, where the Taliban forced the Pakistan government to its knees and accept imposition of sharia, Peshawar appears set to be the next big city to fall. If or when that happens, it will bring Taliban within striking distance of Pakistan's seats of power — Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Alamgir and many people of his ilk regularly face threats from militants that may not necessarily be Taliban but are challenging the government writ in their own way.
"We cannot leave our women and children alone at home even during daytime," said Ali Akber, a resident of Hayatabad in Peshawar. With police and paramilitary forces being targeted frequently, the provincial government is even considering arming the citizenry. One plan envisages giving out 30,000 weapons to residents to defend themselves from criminals and the Taliban.
As the United States prepares for a troop surge and a decisive battle against the Afghan Taliban this year, there appears to be little hope that the Pakistani army, hobbled by political paralysis, can save the key provincial capital of Pakistan's Frontier province, just 25km from the Pakistan-Afghan border.
The provincial metropolis is geographically important not only to Pakistan but also for allied troops in Afghanistan. For years, it was an operational base for the war against Russian troops. Now, it is equally important for the US and allied troops fighting the Taliban along the Pak-Afghan border.
Nearly 100 trucks carrying supplies to the US and Nato troops in Afghanistan were set on fire a few weeks back — one of the largest operations by Taliban.
"If Peshawar falls to militants, it will not take long for other areas of the NWFP to succumb," said Shahid Khatak, professor of international relations at Peshawar University.
Peshawar shares borders with Mohmand Agency in the North, Khyber Agency in West and Darra Adam Khel in the South. Abdul Wali alias Umer Khalid is the Taliban commander in Mohmand Agency, Mangal Bagh is chief of Lashkar-e-Islam in Khyber while Tariq Afridi in Darra Adam Khel (with roots in another militant outfit in Jaish-e-Mohammad).
Recent attacks in the suburbs of Peshawar on high-profile politicians like Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali have sent alarm bells ringing across the country. Senior NWFP Minister Bashir Bilour narrowly survived a suicide attack, while Alamzeb — a member of the provincial assembly — perished in another attempt by the militants who use suicide attacks as a routine tactic in this part of the world.
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