MARDAN, PAKISTAN – The Taliban said they would take revenge for the attacks on them in the Swat valley, and they might do it anywhere in Pakistan.
It seems they have been as good as their word. This morning, we were in Mardan visiting refugees from the fighting in Swat when we heard about the blast in Lahore.
The refugees are the most obvious victims of this war, but the impact is being felt all over the country.
We met a doctor, Farooq Khan, who is sheltering and feeding some 35 families who have fled Swat. Once a follower of Islamist political parties, he now believes that the Taliban’s policies are an anathema to the teachings of Islam.
“When they took over in Swat, we were afraid they might even come here,” he said, indicating the comfortable suburb of Mardan where he lives.
He, like many Pakistanis, believes that this army assault is necessary. “No state can accept what the Taliban wanted,” he said.
“They said they would only be satisfied if they were given everything. They must be wiped from the plains area, even if it’s not possible to flush them entirely from the hills.”
But wiping out Taliban isn’t easy. The army’s attempt to clear Bajaur late last year was supposed to take a maximum of eight weeks, but it took eight months and some Taliban leaders are still hiding there.
Now the government says there are 2.3 million refugees from Swat, and the fighting there remains intense.
And even if they’re under pressure in that area, they can still show their power with suicide bombings in Lahore.