Villagers in Pakistan’s Swat valley have found the bodies of 14 suspected militants, reviving concern about extra-judicial killings after a successful army offensive against Taliban militants.
The military went on the offensive in the Taliban bastion of Swat, northwest of Islamabad, in late April and has killed or driven hundreds of al-Qaeda-linked insurgents out of the former tourist valley.
But as the army finishes up its searches and residents displaced by the fighting return home, bodies of suspected Taliban members have been turning up.
Fourteen bodies were found late on Monday dumped in fields on the outskirts of Charbagh town, villagers and district officials said.
“The bodies were lying in different fields and had bullet wounds,” said Wali Khan, a teacher in the town.
Earlier, about 18 bodies were found in different parts of Swat and the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it suspected security agencies had carried out extra-judicial killings.
“We call for a proper investigation to find out who killed them, who were the dead, whether they were militants, innocent people or by-stander,” said I.A. Rehman, secretary general of the rights group.
“We’ve already demanded an investigation but nothing has happened. It’s a serious matter and must be looked into,” Rehman said.
The military has denied any involvement in the killings.
“This could be a result of revenge by the local people,” military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas said. “It could be a reaction to all that happened to the people in Swat.”
Militants infiltrated into Swat with large supplies of arms and ammunition to support a radical cleric demanding the introduction of hardline Islamist rule.
The army launched its first offensive against them in late 2007, pushing the gunmen into remote mountains but they drifted back into the valley’s towns after the offensive ended.
CHAGOS ISLANDS: Recently elected Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam told lawmakers that the contents of negotiations are ‘unknown’ to the government Mauritius’ new prime minister ordered an independent review of a deal with the UK involving a strategically important US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, placing the agreement under fresh scrutiny. Under a pact signed last month, the UK ceded sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, while retaining control of Diego Garcia — the island where the base is situated. The deal was signed by then-Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Oct. 3 — a month before elections in Mauritius in which Navin Ramgoolam became premier. “I have asked for an independent review of the
France on Friday showed off to the world the gleaming restored interior of Notre-Dame cathedral, a week before the 850-year-old medieval edifice reopens following painstaking restoration after the devastating 2019 fire. French President Emmanuel Macron conducted an inspection of the restoration, broadcast live on television, saying workers had done the “impossible” by healing a “national wound” after the fire on April 19, 2019. While every effort has been made to remain faithful to the original look of the cathedral, an international team of designers and architects have created a luminous space that has an immediate impact on the visitor. The floor shimmers and
THIRD IN A ROW? An expert said if the report of a probe into the defense official is true, people would naturally ask if it would erode morale in the military Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said yesterday, the latest official implicated in a crackdown on graft in the country’s military. Citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation, British newspaper the Financial Times said that the investigation into Dong was part of a broader probe into military corruption. Neither the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Chinese embassy in Washington replied to a request for confirmation yesterday. If confirmed, Dong would be the third Chinese defense minister in a row to fall under investigation for corruption. A former navy
‘VIOLATIONS OF DISCIPLINE’: Miao Hua has come up through the political department in the military and he was already fairly senior before Xi Jinping came to power in 2012 A member of China’s powerful Central Military Commission has been suspended and put under investigation, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday. Miao Hua (苗華) was director of the political work department on the commission, which oversees the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the world’s largest standing military. He was one of five members of the commission in addition to its leader, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Ministry spokesman Colonel Wu Qian (吳謙) said Miao is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline,” which usually alludes to corruption. It is the third recent major shakeup for China’s defense establishment. China in June
RSS