The Pakistan Army will lead a drive against militants led by pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah in the Swat region of northwestern Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army will lead a drive against militants led by pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah in the Swat region of northwestern Pakistan, where rebels have over-run many towns and villages after security forces surrendered.
The army was deployed in Swat in July but has so far been providing support to paramilitary forces and policemen conducting operations against the militants. President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday said the army had taken over the anti-militancy drive under emergency regulations.
"They have taken over. The Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary will be there but the army will be in the lead role in the operations," he told a press conference at the presidency here.
More than 200 people have died in the Swat valley since the government rushed paramilitary troops there last month to quell militants led by Fazlullah, also known as "FM Maulana" for his sermons advocating jehad broadcast from an illegal radio station.
Despite an operation launched by troops backed by artillery and helicopter gunships, the militants have made significant gains in recent days and now control almost 80 per cent of the territory of Swat.
They have taken over police stations and government buildings and Fazlullah has appointed representatives to administer justice according to Shariat or Islamic law.
Musharraf admitted that extremism and the trend of suicide attacks was spreading from tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to the NWFP and other parts of the country.
"Pakistan will be in grave danger if we don't stop terrorism," he said. "We must use all our forces and all our strength for this. We have to hit at their source, we have to eliminate them at their source. This is no easy job."
He also dismissed reports that the military regime had a "soft spot" for extremists and militants and had not taken timely action against militants who had holed up inside the Lal Masjid in Islamabad.
"The delay was because we wanted to save lives. It was late for a reason," he said, referring to military action on Lal Masjid in July that left over 100 people dead.
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