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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

PEHSAWAR: Militants now preaching in urban mosques

Radical Islamism & Jihad
24 Sep 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

PEHSAWAR: Militants now preaching in urban mosques

 

By Ali Hazrat Bacha

  

PEHSAWAR, Sept 22: Militants have gradually started moving from backward hilly areas to urban parts of different districts in the Frontier province.

 

It is learnt that groups of militants in the garb of religious preachers have been visiting different mosques and trying to convince people to support 'mujahideen' against non-Muslim forces.

 

Police sources said militants visited mosques during prayer times and asked people to listen to them for a few minutes like that of a Tablighi group.

 

"They have adopted the same method like Tablighis, but the only difference is that they focus on importance of 'jihad' and ask people to register their names for the purpose if needed," a source said.

 

He said some of such people had been arrested in parts of the provincial metropolis, who were also demanding donations for militants.

 

Referring to the initial interrogation, the source said that by visiting mosques the militants were conducting surveys to know what the ratio of their supporters and opponents was. In the hilly areas, he said, they did not need conducting surveys because a majority of illiterate people were supporting them in the name of religion.

 

It may be mentioned that on the outskirts of Peshawar, militants have already showed their presence by attacking security forces at different times. In the localities like Mattani, Badbher, Mathra and villages closed to the Mohmand Agency, militants have already ganged up and have been targeting security forces.

 

In some areas, the Taliban have reportedly established their self-styled courts and are trying people for different crimes. It is also reported that armed groups patrol their respective areas and openly threaten people.

 

It is learnt that the Taliban through announcements have warned that operators of public transport will be heavily fined if they accommodated women passengers having no proper veil.

 

Despite repeated efforts, the capital city police officer and the SSP, operations, could not be contacted on telephone, but a city police spokesman said station house officers had been directed to keep vigilance on movement of suspected people in their jurisdictions.

 

He said additional police personnel had been deployed in different sensitive areas, mainly in the shopping centres, cantonment area and other parts of the city to check the movement of suspected people and vehicles on different routes.

 

KILLED: A man was killed and his two brothers were injured in Gulabad Nauthia here on Monday.

 

Police said the two groups had exchanged hot words before the incident, which is said to be the result of some old dispute.

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