Taliban militants led by cleric Mullah Fazlullah took control of the scenic Swat valley in 2007 but the army retook Swat after launching a major offensive against the Taliban in 2009 which displaced an estimated two million people. Now the army-run "de-radicalisation" center of Mishal School in Barikot tehsil of Swat valley, started last year, seeks to help hundreds of children and teens endangered by the Taliban, who ruled Swat before the military drove out the insurgents in 2009. These young boys are used as “walking bombs” by the Taliban to target security forces, government employees and ideological opponents in the tribal areas and elsewhere in the country. -Photos by AFP
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Mazhar Hussain
Jul 06, 2011 05:56pm
Talibans are against Islam and they have tarnished the name of Islam, They are ignorant, brutal, cruel and inhuman. They have killed innocent muslims in name of shariat. People like them are polluting Pakistan. I will urge governement to educate people in those areas, provide security and other facilities to people and this is the only way to curb talibanization.
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Niaz Aki
Jul 06, 2011 07:56pm
The wounds inflicted by the events of the years past are deep and will take years to heal. Everyone of us shoud play our part to bring peace, harmony and prosperity to Swat. We cannot aways reform killers by killing them. We shoud educate them and try to alleviate their socio-economic problems which drive them to extremism. Thanks and love you all.
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muhammad younas talh
Jul 06, 2011 10:00pm
pak army did very well in swat .i proud to be pakistani. and proud on my armed forces
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MK Badar
Jul 07, 2011 06:59am
Pakistan Army's officers should not be allowed to buy/own property in areas of Swat or FATA. Consequences of such actions will forever malign already vilified troops.
There are many reports where senior officers of the serving troops in Swat have either taken over the most attractive buildings to live without compensation or consent from the actual owners.
Protecting music CDs is one thing but a family's shelter and assets need to be looked after and accounted for.
It is duty of educated men and women of Swat to bring their grievances into public view so the officers from outside of Swat rather pay for the land and build their own barracks if they have to, rather than few officers converting a fellow Pakistani's house into their mess with ordinary soldier taking the blame for it all.
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