Resurfacing of TTP in Buner

PESHAWAR: The police are on alert and more contingents of the Elite Force have been deployed in Buner district after reports about resurfacing of militants who have sent threatening letters and made phone calls to the local elite.

Apart from others, the provincial general secretary of the Awami National Party and Member of the Provincial Assembly from Buner Sardar Hussain Babak had disclosed he had received threatening letter from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Buner chapter.

The Pashto language letter asked the ANP lawmaker to reform himself and refrain from any kind of support to police, security forces and the un-Islamic system. It said the group has kicked off their operations in the area for the last many days. In the wake of the new development, the police had taken measures to maintain law and order and ensure security to the locals, officials said.

“Work has been started on a strategy that was agreed upon during a meeting at the Central Police Office. The strategy revolves around synergy and coordination of all police units in conjunction with security forces,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Naeem Khan told The News when asked about the measures taken for improved security in Buner.

Another official said that the police in Buner were on alert.

“Five more platoons of the Elite Force have been sent to the district to go after those issuing threatening letters and making phone calls to local politicians and other elders,” the official added. He continued that measures were being taken to ensure security of each and every individual in Buner and other areas.

The locals said that the TTP commanders had resurfaced in the area last year too. The maize fields and the mountains make movement easy for them in Buner.

Sardar Hussain Babak the other day said he would discuss the poor law and order situation in Buner with his party leaders to devise future line of action.

He claimed that the militants had collected millions of rupees as extortion money during the last more than a month.

“The environment of fear has forced the people to remain silent. Nobody is admitting that they have paid extortion,” he told The News.

Babak, who was elected MPA from Buner in both the 2013 and 2018 general elections, said the militants were regularly visiting Pir Baba, Patha, Patay, Balo Khan, Malikpur, Kalil, Gadezai and Shalbandai villages in Upper Buner and demanding extortion money from the people.