Pakistan deployed specialised paramilitary forces to protect important personalities and sensitive installations in Buner and nearby areas.
Waking up to the threat posed by Taliban inching closer to the federal capital, Pakistan on Thursday deployed specialised paramilitary forces to protect important personalities and sensitive installations in Buner and nearby areas.
Specialised forces were also deployed to guard key buildings and landmarks in the capital.
Government called in troops of the Northern Area Scouts, a paramilitary force under the army's command, to aid the civil administration in countering terrorist threats to Islamabad and areas in the restive North West Frontier Province.
The troops will protect important personalities and sensitive installations of the capital, sources said.
"At least 20 companies of the NAS are required to tackle any possible untoward situation," a source was quoted as saying by the News daily.
The NAS will be deployed at sensitive installations and included in the motorcade of important personalities.
Simultaneously, authorities moved a number of Frontier Constabulary platoons to Buner, where reports had indicated that heavily armed Taliban militants were patrolling the streets and had set up check points.
The advent of Taliban in the district located just 100 kms from the federal capital had set off an exodus of local lawmakers, officials and their families.
Residents were quoted by media reports as saying that local police seemed helpless and Taliban were moving freely everywhere in the town.
But it was not even immediately clear that if the paramilitary forces had been rushed to Buner to drive out the Taliban or only to guard or protect government buildings and installations.
Pakistan army has thousands of troops stationed in Swat which adjoins Buner but under the recent peace deal between pro-Taliban militants and the provincial government, they are not supposed to venture out to the town.
Meanwhile, Pakistan army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas maintained that the situation in Buner was not as bad as portrayed.
He claimed that militants were in occupation of only 25 per cent of Buner, mostly its mountainous north.
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