HRCP gets figures on FATA
A delegation of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) led by its chairperson Ms Asma Jahangir visited Peshawar and got a briefing from the governor of the province, Mr Owais Ghani, on the terrorist statistics in the FATA region. After the meeting, Ms Jahangir stated that it was not a law and order situation but a veritable ideological insurgency that was going on in the region.
The total number of militants in the region is said to be about 15,000 and each one of them is paid a salary of between six to eight thousand rupees, their leaders getting between twenty to thirty thousand. Earlier last year. the governor had disclosed that supreme commander Baitullah Mehsud disposed of an annual budget of around two billion rupees. Ms Jahangir also heard Mr Ghani say that the NWFP did not have the money to bring FATA at par with the rest of the province if the Tribal Areas were given to the NWFP. Another fact that has to be highlighted is that in a vacuum of state authority, the numbers in favour of the terrorists are swelled through public obedience on the basis of intimidation.
Source: Daily Times
Date:1/18/2009
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