Pak bans three militant outfits in Khyber Agency

Islamabad, Jun 30 (PTI) Pakistan has banned three
militant groups in the restive Khyber Agency where security
forces have launched a crackdown, even as the local Taliban
pulled out of peace talks and scrapped all deals signed with
the authorities.

The Lashkar-e-Islam led by Mangal Bangh, Ansar-ul-Islam
led by Mehbub-ul-Haq and Amar Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Aneelmunkar
(promotion of virtue and prevention of vice force) – all
militant groups operating in Khyber Agency – have been banned
by the interior ministry.

The ban was imposed following a request from the
secretariat of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to
outlaw all criminal organisations involved in creating
problems and causing hardship for the people, said an official
statement issued late last night.

The government is determined to end the "nefarious
activities" of these groups in the tribal areas, the statement
said. The move came after security forces launched a crackdown
against militants in the Khyber Agency on Saturday.

The troops have blown up several militant bases,
including headquarters of Lashkar-e-Islam and Ansar-ul-Islam,
though the two groups have offered no resistance to security
forces.

On the other hand, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has
accused the government of violating peace deals and announced
it is ending peace talks and scrapping accords signed with
authorities in tribal areas and North West Frontier Province.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Maulvi Omar told The News
daily that a meeting of his organisation's 'Shura' or supreme
council, which was chaired by commander Baitullah Mehsud
yesterday, decided to scrap peace deals in the Swat valley,
Darra Adam Khel and Mohmand Agency.

The Pakistani Taliban also decided to freeze peace talks
in the Waziristan tribal region in the wake of action against
militants in Swat, Nowshera, Tank and Waziristan.

Omar claimed the government had promised not to take
action against Taliban after the peace deals but did not
honour its pledge.

After coming to power, the ANP-PPP coalition government
in NWFP signed a peace accord with the Taliban in Swat on May
21 but talks on implementing the deal were stalled twice.

Militants in the gun-manufacturing town of Darra Adam
Khel also inked a peace deal in the last week of May, and this
was followed by an agreement in Mohmand Agency.

Omar said Taliban would only avenge actions taken against
them, but will resume strikes if the government does not stop
military operations, he said.

He also warned that Taliban "would shift the battle to
other provinces" by carrying out attacks.

Though the Lashkar-e-Islam has no affiliation with the
Taliban, the latter has opposed the crackdown launched by
security forces in Khyber Agency.

"We will consider every attack against a religious outfit
an attack on the (Pakistani Taliban), whether the group has an
affiliation with (the Taliban) or not," Taliban spokesman in
Swat, Muslim Khan said.

Meanwhile, intelligence sources told The News that
Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has threatened to
carry out suicide attacks on Rehman Malik - adviser to premier
on Interior Affairs, on army installations, PPP ministers and
personnel of law enforcement agencies in Karachi and other
parts of the country.

They said Mehsud issued the threat after start of the
operation in Khyber Agency. The sources said Mehsud had sent
four to five suicide bombers, besides snipers to Karachi to
attack ministers and intelligence personnel.