December 14, 2006	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 22, 1427

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KOHAT, Dec 13: With the number of their sympathisers increasing and their fear among businessmen growing, the local Taliban have become a serious challenge for the administration of the semi-autonomous tribal town of Darra Adamkhel.

Impressed by the ruling style of Mullah Omar, some 20 to 25 young boys of Darra took it upon themselves to ‘purge society of vices’ by launching a Taliban-like movement a year ago.These local Taliban have lately become a force to reckon with, in the tribal town known for illegal arms manufacturing and drug smuggling.

“Earlier, their activities were restricted to attacks on vehicles taking oil to Afghanistan for coalition forces. But now they are out to punish those who, they think, are spreading vices in society,” said an official while talking to Dawn.

They believe that since the government is patronising the spread of obscenity to please the West, it is their religious duty to fight against social vices.

Currently, they are targeting video shops and girls schools. They want the former to be shut and the latter to shun most of their practices which, according to them, cross the limits set by Islam.

"What they do is deliver a warning to a girls’ school or a video shop-owner to fall in line with Islamic teachings within 15 days. In case of non-compliance, they take action like killing the people running the business or blowing up their shops.

“They say there can be no negotiations with infidels and those spreading vices, and that they will wage a jihad against them. Their message is loud and clear," said the official.

Of late, they have also warned the administration of girls schools in the town to switch off loudspeakers while female students are singing the national anthem so that their voices are not heard outside the schools’ premises.

The owners of the houses with dish-antenna atop their roofs have also received the Taliban warning.

Last month, two local Taliban, Abdul Hameed and Nawab, were killed while planting an explosive device by the wall of a girls school. The device had exploded before its time.

They blew up six video shops in November, after a 15-day deadline given to the owners to these shops had expired.

They also bombed the shop of one Fazal in Ajun market of Torkhel bazaar. Five shops in the vicinity were damaged.

However, a conflicting aspect of this drive against ‘vices’ is that the Taliban have turned a blind eye to the evils of illegal arms manufacturing and smuggling as well as drug trafficking.