Incidents involving Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM)

Date

Incident

January 2

Leaders of the proscribed TNSM have reportedly indicated that militants operating in Swat and Bajaur would quit militancy if the Government announced the enforcement of Sharia (Islamic law) in the Malakand region and Bajaur Agency.

February 13

In continuation of their protest, residents in Mingora, the district headquarters of Swat, took to streets, demanding enforcement of Sharia (Islamic law).

February 15

The Bajaur chapter of the TNSM demanded immediate implementation of the Sharia (Islamic law) in the Agency and in return assured the Government of its co-operation to establish a complete writ of the state, demanding the Army to stay in the region till reconstruction work was completed. TNSM Bajaur chief Ismail Muhammadi made this demand while reacting to the finalisation of a five-point agreement for enforcement of Sharia in the Malakand division after successful talks between the NWFP Government and TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad. "We assure the Government of complete cooperation for a lasting peace and for establishing writ of the state in the troubled agency if people’s demand of enforcement of Shariah is met," Ilyas told. "After people’s major demand of the enforcement of Shariah is met, the restoration of peace and purging the area of miscreants will become easier and the TNSM will be in a position to help establish writ of the government," he added.

The Taliban of Swat announced a 10-day cease-fire after the Government and the TNSM reached an understanding about promulgating Sharia (Islamic law), termed ‘Nizam-e-Adl Regulation’, in Malakand region. "Taliban have declared a unilateral cease-fire for 10 days as a goodwill gesture. Our fighters will not attack security personnel and Government installations," Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said. However, he said, the militants would hold their positions and defend themselves if attacked. He welcomed the move to enforce Sharia regulations in Malakand, but added: "We will see how sincere the Government is in their enforcement." When asked about the possibility of the militants disarming themselves, the spokesman said everything would depend on the line of action of the authorities in Swat.

According to sources, a five-point draft accord was signed after negotiations between the Government and TNSM teams held at the Timergara rest-house where the outfit had set up a ‘protest camp’ on October 9, 2008. A formal announcement about enforcement of the regulations is likely to be made by the NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan in provincial capital Peshawar at a meeting to be attended by provincial ministers, a delegation of the TNSM and leaders of political parties. During the talks, the NWFP Government team was led by Information Minister Mian Iftikhar, Livestock Minister Haji Hidayatullah, the Awami National Party spokesman Zahid Khan and Hazara Commissioner Javed Khan, while the TNSM was represented by Maulana Sufi Mohammad, spokesman Amir Izzat, Maulana Mohammad Alam and Badshah Sardar. Amir Izzat and Sufi Mohammad’s son Rizwanullah said "both sides have signed the accord" and an announcement regarding the enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in Malakand division would be made by the Chief Minister after a meeting with a jirga (council of elders) of the TNSM in Peshawar. "The NWFP government has accepted TNSM’s demand for enforcement of Shariat-i-Muhammadi in accordance with Quran, Sunnah, Ijma and Qias," they said.

Hours after the meeting between the Government and TNSM teams, the TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah announced a 10-day cease-fire in Swat through his illegal FM channel. "The Swat chapter of Taliban agrees with talks between the provincial Government and TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad, and ceases hostilities for a temporary period of 10 days," locals quoted Fazlullah’s broadcast. They said he had elaborated the Taliban would review the progress of Sharia implementation after 10 days and decide their future course of action. He said the TTP fully respected the TNSM chief’s decisions.

February 16

The NWFP Government formally announced the implementation of Sharia (Islamic law) known as the Nizam-e-Adl Regulations 2009 in Malakand Division and Kohistan District. "The provincial Government in consultation with all political parties, Sufi Muhammad and Ulema with the approval of Federal Government introduced changes in the 1999 Nizam-e-Adl Regulation. Today I announce promulgation of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation (Amended) 2009… The regulations will be implemented in Malakand following the return of peace and restoration of writ of the Government," NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti told a press conference after chairing a jirga (council of elders) in Peshawar. The jirga was attended by a 29-member TNSM delegation from Dir, leaders and representatives of political and religious parties, members of the NWFP cabinet and senior bureaucrats. He said the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 had been approved by President Asif Zardari following consultation with TNSM representatives.

"We will reciprocate the militants’ 10-day armistice with a cease-fire for good," the Chief Minister said. Hoti also said troops would remain in "reactive mode" instead of "proactive mode" and would not target anyone unless threatened. He said the army should be removed only after peace has been restored. Troops would play their role in reconstruction and rehabilitation, he added. He said the Nizam-e-Adl Regulations 2009 were in line with the Constitution of Pakistan as it was the amended form of the regulations proposed for Malakand in 1994 and 1999. He said the new system had been devised to provide easy and speedy justice for the people. He said both the Qazi and the police department would be held accountable for any delay. He announced that all civil cases would be resolved within six months and all criminal cases would be decided within a maximum of four months. For its implementation, Hoti said, a task force comprising the federal secretary interior, the NWFP chief secretary, the provincial presidents of the ANP and the PPP, the law and home secretaries, would be established. Sources told that the TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad would head a jirga to Swat in the next two days to discuss the restoration of peace with the residents and Taliban.

The NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain read an ‘announcement’ signed by three TNSM leaders and six NWFP Government officials that declared "null and void" all laws "contrary to Quran and Hadith" in Malakand Division and Kohistan District of Hazara Division. The Malakand Division comprises seven districts of Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Chitral and Malakand. The announcement also requested the TNSM chief to co-operate with the Government for the restoration of peace in Malakand and promised the Nizam-e-Adl Regulations would be implemented there after peace was fully restored.

President Asif Ali Zardari will not sign documents of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 until peace is restored in Swat, Malakand, and other troubled areas, Federal Information Minister Sherry Rehman said. "The Government will monitor the situation, as security and well-being of Swat is top priority," Sherry said in a statement following an agreement between the NWFP Government and the TNSM. However, she said, "The will of the population of the Swat… should be taken into account while debating the merits of this agreement."

The Pakistan army said it will abide by the deal between the NWFP Government and TNSM. The Inter-Service Public Relations spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told that the military had been asked to retreat, but it would only respond if attacked. He said the situation in Swat was not satisfactory, but the Government had adopted another strategy. To a question whether the army was consulted before the deal, Abbas said, "Consultation is always there."

The TTP has reportedly welcomed the agreement between the TNSM and NWFP Government for the enforcement of Sharia in Malakand Division and Kohistan District. Talking to a private TV channel, TTP spokesman Maulvi Omar said the Taliban would try their best for the enforcement of Islamic system in the country and FATA. When asked if the TTP would lay down their arms and renounce violence in the FATA and Swat, he said they would accept every decision taken by Maulana Sufi Muhammad.

February 17

A TV and print media journalist was found dead hours after he was abducted in Swat. Musa Khankhel, correspondent for The News and a private TV channel, Geo News, was covering a ‘peace march’ led by Maulana Sufi Mohammed, chief of the TNSM in Matta when he was kidnapped and later found dead, Mingora-based journalists told. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the murder.

The TNSM chief Sufi Mohammed led hundreds of supporters and activists in a march to plead peace with the leadership of the Swat-based Taliban. Before leaving for the Matta sub-division of Swat District, Sufi and his activists staged a rally in Mingora town. The rally passed through streets to give the message of peace to the people of Swat. In the afternoon, the rally left for Matta where Sufi was hoping to meet his son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah and other Taliban leaders in an effort to persuade them to disarm, AFP quoted his spokesman, Amir Izzat, as saying. However, no date for any meeting had been announced. Police and witnesses estimated that 15,000 people marched in the crowd, waving black and white flags as they paraded through the town. The TNSM spokesman said Sufi Mohammad would stay in Swat District till the complete restoration of peace in the valley and surrender by the Taliban.

A meeting of the Swat chapter of the TTP was held at an unidentified location in Matta in which top commanders and Fazlullah’s lieutenants participated. They reportedly constituted a committee to hold talks with the TNSM. Further, speaking at a press conference in Mingora, the NWFP Senior Minister Bashir Bilour said the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 could also be replicated in other districts following its success in the Malakand Division. The provincial government wanted to solve problems through dialogue as use of force was not a solution to problems, he added. He said that courts in Malakand would not be like that of Afghanistan’s Taliban but the regulation was aimed at providing speedy justice. A 14-member TNSM delegation headed by Safiullah met Bilour and reportedly discussed the regulation in detail.

February 19

The Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah discussed with the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad the Swat peace deal in a meeting at an undisclosed location in the Matta sub-division of the Swat District. TNSM spokesman Izzat Khan Sufi and his delegation tried to convince Fazlullah and other Taliban leaders to disarm. He also said the TNSM chief told the Taliban that he too had given up his protest after the announcement that Sharia (Islamic law) would be implemented in the Malakand Division. The spokesman said Fazlullah has sought one day for consultation with his Shura. He would talk to his associates after the Friday prayer on February 20 to make a decision, Izzat Khan said.

February 20

A breakthrough is reported to have occurred during talks between the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammed and Swat Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah, Dawn quoted a TNSM spokesman as saying. Separately, the Taliban said they would probably extend the cease-fire in Swat. Sufi Mohammad is seeking to persuade the Taliban to eschew violence and accept the Government’s offer to introduce Sharia (Islamic law) in the Malakand Division and Kohistan District. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said "Hopefully, you’ll hear good news in one or two days." "They met and discussed how peace will return here and what actions need to be taken for it," said Khan, adding that Sufi Mohammed was expected to make the Taliban''s case to the Government. Sufi Mohammed accompanied by thousands of his activists continued to rally through the strife-torn towns and villages of the Swat Valley. He also met his son-in-law, Maulana Fazlullah, to persuade the militants to lay down their arms.

February 23

Maulana Sufi Muhammad, chief of the banned TNSM, announced a 10-point peace plan for Swat in a press conference in Mingora. Sufi asked the Taliban to remove all their check-posts and not to display arms in the Swat valley. He asked the Government to withdraw troops from schools and other buildings and stop all military operations immediately. He also called on the Taliban and Government to release each others prisoners. The TNSM chief asked employees of the District administration to resume their duties, and the Government to reinstate such Frontier Corps, Police and Government officials who had been dismissed during the past few years. He also demanded immediate compensation for the people of Swat, inviting the NWFP Chief Minister to visit the valley to make an announcement in this regard.

February 26

Suspected Taliban militants stopped a SFs convoy from entering Mingora in the Swat District by planting a roadside bomb in Balogram area. Sources said the Malakand Division Commissioner, TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammed and representatives of the Taliban had started talks to sort out the matter.

March 1

The TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammed warned he wanted Islamic courts set up in two weeks. He said he was not happy over the fact that there had been no tangible progress since February 16 when the NWFP Government agreed to implement the Nizam-e-Adl Regulations 2009. "The Government announced enforcement of Sharia [Islamic law] but so far no practical step has been taken and we are not satisfied… I’m not seeing any practical steps for the implementation of the peace agreement, except for ministers visiting Swat and uttering words," Sufi told reporters in Swat’s main town Mingora. The cleric said he was also unhappy over a delay in an exchange of prisoners and urged both the Taliban and the Government to release people they were holding by March 10. "If the Government does not appoint Qazis [Islamic judges] by March 15, and the two sides do not release prisoners in their custody, we will set up protest camps," he said. He also said armed patrol by either side would not be allowed after March 1, and anybody who violated the truce would be charged and punished in line with the Sharia.

Later, Sufi’s spokesman Ameer Izzat Khan blamed the Security Forces for an attack on a troop convoy in Swat earlier in the day. He said the soldiers had not given prior information of their movement in accordance with the terms of the truce.

March 1

The Taliban in Dir District have threatened to carry out suicide attacks against their opponents and district administration in Doog Darra area of Upper Dir if they did not stop organising volunteers against militants to expel them from the area. "The central shura of Taliban has firmly decided under Sharia principles to carry out further attacks against the US agents in Doog Darra area and the law enforcement agencies if they did not stop disturbing Taliban there," a Taliban spokesman threatened. Talking on telephone from an unspecified location, the District chief of Dir Taliban Hafeezullah said that Mullah Mansoor had been appointed as their new spokesman in the District. While welcoming the peace deal between the NWFP Government and TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad, he said the Taliban would restart their activities if the proposed Nizam-e-Adl Regulations 2009 were not enforced forthwith. "Now the ball is not in the court of Taliban but in the court of government," he added. Later, the newly-appointed spokesman Mullah Mansoor claimed that one of his men had been shot dead by Police in Upper Dir some days ago and then an official statement was issued that he had blown up himself.

March 3

Militants killed two SF personnel in an ambush in the Ronyal village of Matta sub-division in Swat District and kidnapped, but released after some time, three NWFP Government officials. The military described the attack on SF personnel a violation of the peace agreement, but chief of the TNSM Maulana Sufi Mohammad blamed the army for moving around without informing the TNSM. The army said a captain was wounded in the ambush and two soldiers were killed when they were carrying water from a water channel. "There absolutely was no violation of the agreement on our part. Our forces were engaged by militants and we did not retaliate," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Athar Abbas told. "Our security forces are threatened, their ration supplies are disrupted and forces are attacked without any provocation. We have been exercising restraint in larger interest of the people and peace in Swat," he said.

March 4

The NWFP Government struck a 17-point deal with the banned TNSM in the Swat valley. "A 17-point understanding was reached with a TNSM delegation … music has been banned in Swat and it has been agreed to expel prostitutes and pimps from the district," said a senior official. The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-led the provincial Government at the talks, while Maulana Safiullah and spokesman Amir Izzat Khan represented the TNSM – with Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed also in attendance. The meeting came a day after suspected Taliban militants killed two army troops and continued taking Government officials hostage, despite having agreed to a cease-fire in the wake of the provincial Government’s February 16 accord on the implementation of Sharia (Islamic law) in Swat.

March 5

The TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and Swat Taliban chief Mulla Fazlullah met at an undisclosed location to discuss the implementation of the Swat peace deal with the Government. Sources said that Sufi had firmly told Fazlullah to stop armed Taliban militants from patrolling Mingora and other parts of Swat and lay down weapons immediately. Sufi said talks with the provincial Government had been satisfactory and the Taliban’s demands would be met soon, while Fazlullah’s response had also been positive, they said. Meanwhile, the TNSM spokesman Izzat Khan told after a meeting between a TNSM jirga and the Malakand Commissioner that the Government had accepted only one demand for the withdrawal of the army from Imamdheri Markaz. He said that Takhtaband-Angrodheri Road was still closed, "and this is making us suspicious … the government should take steps to overcome my group’s mistrust".

March 6

The NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti said in Peshawar that only those Taliban prisoners that fall in the ‘white category’ will be released as part of the peace deal in Swat. Prisoners in the black and grey categories – who are a serious threat to national security according to police investigation manual – will not be freed, he told. "I have directed the home secretary to look into the cases of those prisoners who are in the white category. We will not free prisoners in black and grey categories," the chief minister said. Maulana Sufi Muhammad, chief of the banned TNSM, had demanded the release of all Taliban prisoners arrested during military operations in Swat. Hoti also said his Government would soon send the draft Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 to the president for his approval. "In the next few days it will be sent to the [NWFP] governor who will forward to President Zardari… The president has to sign it. It is just a formality," he said.

March 8

The Taliban agreed to remove all check-posts across the Swat District following the successful completion of talks between the NWFP Government, the banned TNSM and TTP. The first phase of the talks concluded successfully in provincial capital Peshawar with the three parties agreeing to continue talks, a private TV channel reported. Sources said that following the release of 12 imprisoned Taliban militants, the parties concerned had achieved consensus on all matters. On the same day, SFs removed all check-posts from Takhtaband Road in Mingora and opened it to traffic. TNSM spokesman Ameer Izzat said both the SFs and the Taliban had removed their check-posts following the successful dialogue.

The Government claimed it had made a breakthrough when it handed over 12 Taliban militants to the TNSM and assured it that Qazi courts (Islamic courts) would be set up by March 13. In return Taliban said they would allow the reopening of all roads. The freed militants were reportedly handed over to the TNSM delegation at the office of the Malakand Commissioner. They were identified as Saifullah, Abdul Jalil, Shafiullah, Naveed Akbar, Zahir Jan, Asif Khan, Sardar Ali, Islam Shaha, Gul Zamin, Syedullah, Jalat Khan and Mohammad Naveed.

March 9

The NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti signed the draft of the proposed Nizam-e-Adl (Sharia) Regulation 2009, and sent it to Governor Owais Ghani to be forwarded to the President for approval, sources in Chief Minister’s Secretariat told. The TNSM has set March 15 as the deadline for the Government to implement Sharia (Islamic law) in Malakand. NWFP Law Minister Arshad Abdullah told a press conference that the provincial Government had given final shape to the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 and President Asif Ali Zardari would sign the document in three days.

The law minister said the regulation would deal with criminal cases only. According to the regulation, the minister said that two appellate Sharia courts – Darul Qaza and Darul-Darul Qaza – would be established in Malakand Division. He said that verdicts delivered by the Darul Qaza court could be challenged in the Darul-Darul Qaza court, whose verdict would be final. The law minister also said the Nizam-e-Adl Regulations would be deemed to have come into effect on February 16.

March 12

Militants took hostage 20 Policemen escorting the procession of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad, representatives of the Government, Taliban and Qaumi Amn Jirga that was taking the newly-appointed Qazis (Islamic judges) to different areas of the Swat District. The Police officials, riding two mobile vehicles, were providing security to the procession, which was taking the Qazis to their offices. The militants kidnapped all the 20 Police officials in Qamber, a town located three kilometers before Mingora. However, the Policemen were later freed on the intervention of Sufi Muhammad and others.

March 12

The Swat-based TTP demanded that the Police and paramilitary forces should resume their duties wearing plain clothes and not their uniforms. Sources in the TNSM told that the Taliban’s demand came after the appointment of Qazis to hear cases in accordance with Sharia (Islamic law) in Swat District. The sources said the Taliban had asked TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad to forward their demand to the Government.

March 18

The provincial Government directed the judges of subordinate judiciary of the Peshawar High Court in Swat not to attend courts and restrict themselves to their houses. The order came after a warning from the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad to the judges of Swat not to attend their courts. A civil judge in Swat told that after Sufi’s warning, they had been directed by the Government and district administration not to attend courts due to security concerns. The judge, however, said most of the judges had started deciding cases of petty nature at their houses due to security reasons.

March 20

The SFs have set free 15 more Taliban prisoners, including the brother of banned TTP Swat chapter spokesman Muslim Khan, after the NWFP Government’s peace accord with Maulana Sufi Mohammad, the chief of outlawed TNSM. Sources said the Taliban had handed a list of 220 prisoners to the Government after the peace accord. However, 15 militants were released, bringing the tally of the freed militants to 28 after the peace accord. The released militants included Noorul Huda, Ayub, Dilaram, Inayat, Fazle Ilahi, Anwar Hussain, Muzaffar, Rehmat, Munir Khan, Gul Zada, Saddam Hussain, Muhammad Yaqub, Arsala Khan, Sher Bahadur, Umar Khan and Zahir Shah. Noorul Huda is the brother of TTP Swat spokesman Muslim Khan.

March 24

The TNSM Maulana chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad threatened to halt his efforts for the restoration of peace if the Government did not immediately nullify all un-Islamic laws in the Malakand Division and empower Qazi courts to hear all cases. Addressing a press conference in Mingora, Sufi Muhammad said though he was satisfied with the announcement of Sharia (Islamic law) by the Government, he was disappointed with the progress of the peace deal. "I am not convinced of the progress so far made with regard to the peace deal. The government had promised to declare all unIslamic laws in vogue in Malakand null and void but it is yet to be done despite the passage of 38 days," the TNSM chief said. He also accused the Government of not entrusting Qazi courts with authority to hear all cases. "Qazis in the newly-established Shariah courts are sitting idle as they have not been mandated to hear crucial cases. I am not satisfied with the Qazi courts either," he said. He threatened to quit the peace efforts in Swat if the Government did not act to practically rescind all un-Islamic laws and authorise Qazi courts to take up all cases.

March 27

SFs and militants clashed in the Qamber area of Swat District, which resulted in the death of a recently released militant, ‘commander’ Hayat Khan, and injuries to a soldier. The gunfight occurred when militants allegedly fired at a convoy of the SFs, which was taking ration to Qamber town on the outskirts of Mingora. This was the third clash between the militants and SFs after the peace deal between the NWFP Government and the TNSM.

April 01

SFs released 10 more Taliban militants. Sources said SFs, under the peace pact signed between the NWFP Government and the banned TNSM, freed 10 more militants. Those released were identified as Maulana Abdul Shakoor, Rohul Amin and his namesake, Amjad, Aftabuddin, Muhammad Sahib, Khan Nawab, Zakria, Fazal Akbar and Gul Akbar. The Government has released a total of 44 Taliban militants so far.

April 05

The Government freed three more Taliban militants from Mingora, as part of its peace accord with the TNSM. The total number of released Taliban militants has now reached 47. The men freed have been identified as Munawar Hassan, Abdul Haliq and Qadeem. The Taliban had provided a list of 220 of their men to the Government that they wanted released.

April 09

Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the TNSM chief, concluded his "peace camp" in Swat, in protest against the delay in the implementation of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation. "But the peace deal with the provincial government is intact," Sufi Muhammad told a press conference in Mingora before moving out of the District. "If something unpleasant happens after our peace camp has been wrapped up, President Asif Zardari will be held responsible," Sufi read a written statement in Pushto. He alleged the federal Government was not sincere. TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said Sufi Muhammad left for Amandara town in Malakand where he will chair a shura (executive council) meeting. "The ball is now in the president’s court," he told. However, the Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed said the federal Government would sign the regulation soon.

April 10

The TNSM assured the NWFP Government that it would keep the peace deal intact, but warned that the delay by President Asif Ali Zardari in signing the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation could hinder the return of peace to the Swat Valley. The NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and the peace envoy to the NWFP Government Afrasiyab Khattak reportedly went to Batkhela to meet the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who wound up the peace camp in Swat on April 9. However, Sufi Muhammad refused to meet the visiting delegation in protest against the delay in the signing of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation. "We met him (Sufi) during the Friday prayers but he did not participate in the talks," said Mian Iftikhar.

Mian Iftikhar and Afrasiyab, accompanied by Home Secretary Fayaz Toru, Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed and District Coordination Officer Malakand Agency Arshad Khan, held talks with the TNSM team, represented by its spokesman Amir Izzat Khan, Maulana Syed Wahab, Ghayasuddin, Latif Khan and Multanmir. After negotiations, Mian Iftikhar said they agreed to keep the deal intact. He contradicted some media reports about the scrapping of the accord and said some elements were bent upon sabotaging the agreement but their nefarious designs would be foiled. Talking to reporters, Amir Izzat said their agreement with the provincial Government was intact. "Sufi Muhammad just wound up the peace camp in protest and it is not related to the scrapping of the pact," he said. The TNSM spokesman said Sufi Muhammad did not take part in the talks in protest and would not hold negotiations with the Government till the implementation of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation.

April 12

The TNSM and the Swat Taliban warned parliamentarians against opposing the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in the National Assembly. "Even holy prophets had no authority to make religious laws or amend them, then how can the National Assembly do it?" TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan told The News. "If members of the National Assembly opposed the judicial system of the Shariat-e-Muhammadi, they will enter the category of non-Muslims and Pakistan will become Darul Harb," he warned. Explaining Darul Harb, he said when the rulers of a country opposed the Sharia (Islamic law), they did not remain Muslims anymore. "So a country with non-Muslims as its rulers becomes Darul Harb," he said and added that it made Jihad mandatory on rulers. Muslim Khan, the spokesman for the Swat militants, warned that those opposing the Nizam-e-Adl would be declared Murtad or apostate. "Then, he or she should contest election on minority seat, if he or she remains alive," he said.

April 12

The Swat District administration released five Taliban militants in accordance with the peace accord signed by the NWFP Government and the TNSM. Official sources said with the latest release, the number of the Taliban militants released after the deal has risen to 53. The sources identified those released as Fazal Qadeer, Misbahur Rehman, Ameer Rehman, Bahadar Khan and Hafeezullha.

April 14

The White House said the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation accord signed by the NWFP Government with the TNSM to introduce Sharia (Islamic law) in Malakand Division and the Kohistan District of NWFP was against human rights and democracy. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama’s administration believed that "solutions involving security in Pakistan don’t include less democracy and less human-rights. The signing of that denoting strict Islamic law in Swat valley goes against both those principles". He also said "We are disappointed that parliament did not take into account legitimate concerns around civil and human rights."

April 14

President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation for Swat, after the National Assembly passed a resolution in favour of the draft regulation. "Yes, the president has signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation before leaving for Dubai on a two-day visit," said presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar. Earlier on April 13, the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution recommending the President sign the regulation to be imposed in the Malakand Division in accordance with a peace agreement between the NWFP Government and the TNSM. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement had expressed its reservations over the resolution but abstained from voting to allow it to be passed unanimously. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the National Assembly that the issue had been brought before the House to build a broad national consensus and establish the supremacy of Parliament.

Terming the Army the defender of the country and the nation, the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad asked the Taliban to lay down their arms after ratification of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 by the president. "The TNSM will extend unflinching support to the Army," he said and added that he would continue efforts to bring peace back to Malakand and other parts of the country. He said a general amnesty would be announced for all those prisoners who were in the captivity of the Taliban at a public meeting soon.

April 19

The TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad declared that the country’s superior courts were un-Islamic and could not hear appeals against decisions of the newly set up Qazi (Islamic) courts. "There is no room for democracy in Islam," said Sufi while addressing a gathering in the Mingora town of Swat District. Western democracy was a "system of infidels" and had divided the clerics and the people of Pakistan into factions, he said, and the Supreme Court and the high courts were strengthening the system. The TNSM chief told the Government to withdraw all judges from Malakand Division – including from Kohistan District – within four days and set up a Darul Qaza to hear appeals against the decisions of qazi courts. He also demanded the appointment of Qazis at the district and tehsil (revenue division) levels throughout the Division. "The government will be responsible for all the consequences if our demands are not implemented," he warned. He also said it was impossible to implement the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 – promulgated on April 15 following approval from the President and the National Assembly – without support from the Army and Police.

April 19

At least two people were killed and another injured in a gunfight between Taliban militants and the operatives of the TNSM in the Mamond sub-division of Bajaur Agency. The reason for the clash - that occurred in the Meena area - could not be ascertained. Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar confirmed the incident while talking to reporters from an undisclosed location. He said the Taliban would not allow anyone to display weapons in Mamond in accordance with their peace deal with local tribal elders, and that they had held 60 people so far for displaying weapons. Rizwan, a TNSM leader and son of the outfit’s chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad – said the incident was a result of a misunderstanding. Some differences had emerged between the TNSM and the Mamond tribe, he said, and a jirga (council of elders) is attempting to resolve them.

April 21

The Taliban in Swat have said they are not bound to honour the peace accord between the Government and TNSM Maulana Sufi Muhammad. They said the NWFP Government had signed the deal with the TNSM, and not with the Taliban. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan in a telephone interview with the CNN demanded the imposition of the Taliban’s model of Sharia (Islamic law) throughout Pakistan and beyond, "even in America". He also denounced any Pakistanis who disagreed with his interpretation of Islam, calling them "non-Muslims". He also called for the imposition of jiziya, a tax to be levied on all non-Muslims in Pakistan. In an Associated Press interview, he said Osama bin Laden was welcome in Swat. "Yes, we will help them and protect them," he stated. Muslim Khan counted the LeT, the JeM, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban of Afghanistan among his allies. "If we need, we can call them and if they need, they can call us," he said.

April 22

The Taliban have said they will not leave Buner District until the Nizam-e-Adl was implemented in Malakand Division. "The Taliban will leave Buner after enforcement of the Nizam-e-Adl," the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Muslim Khan told AFP from Swat. "The government writ is not being challenged" in Buner and the Taliban were not creating problems for the administration there, he claimed. "We went into Buner because the administration there had totally failed to provide justice to the people and resolve the problems being faced by them," he added.

Regular courts stopped functioning in Buner after judicial officers went on leave for an indefinite period in compliance with directives of the Peshawar High Court. The TNSM chief, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, had asked the Government on April 19 to abolish regular courts and set up Darul Qaza for appeal by April 23. In the neighbouring Shangla District also, judges could not perform their duties because lawyers did not appear in courts after they received a threat against doing so. In a letter pasted near the bar room, militants had warned lawyers against appearing before courts. Buner and Shangla are two of the seven districts of Malakand Division where the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 will be enforced.

An unnamed official of the Peshawar High Court told that "Safety of our officials is of supreme importance for us. How is it possible for judges to perform their duty when personnel of law-enforcement agencies and administration are not present in the district." District Coordination Officer Javed Ahmed Khan, District Police Officer Abdur Rashed Khan and Assistant Coordination Officer Pervez Khan Yousafzai had reportedly already left the District more than a week ago. A judicial officer confirmed that the District police officer had categorically told them that he could not guarantee safety to court officials.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam (JuI-F) warned in a speech in the National Assembly that the Taliban were closing in on Islamabad. "You talk about Swat and Buner, but according to my information, they have reached Kala Dhaka and Tarbela. And if they continue advancing, there will be only Margalla Hills between them and the federal capital," he said. He blamed the "civil war-like situation" on former president Pervez Musharraf’s decision to join the US-led war on terror. The Swat peace deal was "based on defeat, not success", he said, adding there was no writ of the state in the NWFP.

April 23

At the request of the NWFP Government, the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad agreed to defer the deadline of April 23 he had set for setting up Darul Qaza (Islamic courts) in Malakand. A meeting of the TNSM Shura (executive council) held at its headquarters in Amandara endorsed Sufi Mohammad’s decision to extend the deadline for an indefinite period. TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan told that the Maulana had accepted the provincial Government’s request to withdraw his decision of pulling out of the peace accord if Darul Qaza was not set up by April 23.He said the Government was sincere in the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation and hoped Darul Qaza and Qazi courts would be set up soon.

April 24

The Taliban announced its withdrawal from the Buner District in NWFP after a meeting between the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and key Government officials. "All the Taliban who have come from [outside Buner] will go back," Amir Izzat Khan, a spokesman of Sufi Muhammad, told. However, sources close to the Taliban said that the "local Taliban will stay in Buner". It was not clear if those who stay will surrender weapons. Witnesses in the Poran sub-division of Shangla District also reported a Taliban withdrawal. The Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed told the withdrawal was a result of the peace talks with Sufi.

April 27

The TNSM has suspended talks with the NWFP Government to protest against the military action in Dir, the TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan told in Mingora city. "We, however, still adhere to the February deal," he told, referring to the accord that sought Taliban disarmament in return for the imposition of sharia law in Malakand division. "We will not hold any talks until the operation ends," he told Associated Press. "The agreements with the Pakistan government are worthless because Pakistani rulers are acting to please Americans," Muslim Khan, spokesman for Taliban in Swat valley said. A Taliban spokesman identified as Umar said to Associated Press that the Taliban would agree to talks about the situation in Dir, but only if the military operation is halted. "We were living peacefully in Dir," Umar added further.

April 28

The NWFP Government is all set to establish the Darul Qaza appeals court in Malakand and appoint Qazis in the area, Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said, inviting the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad for talks to implement the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009.

"It’s the last opportunity. I request Sufi Muhammad and his companions through this press conference to come forward for consultations with the government as all arrangements for the implementation of the system are complete," said the spokesman while addressing a press conference. The minister said the TNSM chief had suspended peace talks after a military operation in Dir that he opposed and that Government emissaries could not contact him as he had gone to Taimer Gara and refused to talk to them. He said the Government believed in dialogue and not in use of force because only dialogue could solve problems. The minister warned that the provincial Government would take strict action against all those challenging the writ of the state, forming a parallel Government, endangering the life and property of citizens and patrolling troubled areas with weapons. "There were some technical problems in the establishment of Darul Qaza and appointment of Qazis. We have now done the homework and are fully ready to implement the system after consultations with Sufi Muhammad," said Iftikhar.

Maulana Mohammad Alam, deputy chief of the TNSM, has said his organistation is not ready to resume talks with the Government on the Swat accord or the ongoing military operation in the absence of Maulana Sufi Mohammad. Talking to Dawn at the TNSM’s Amandara office in Batkhela, he said: "We don’t know where and how he (Sufi Mohammad) is. Before leaving his home in Maidan on Sunday he told me that he was going to the party office but he did not reach here." Sources said that Sufi Mohammad was still in Maidan (Lower Dir) and he had rejected a Government offer to move him to his party’s headquarters by helicopter. They said the TNSM chief had told the authorities that he would proceed to Amandara if the Government stopped military operation in Lower Dir. Earlier, addressing a press conference at the TNSM head office, Maulana Alam accused the Government of violating the peace deal by launching a fresh military operation in Maidan. "We ask the government to stop the military operation immediately," he said. He claimed the Taliban had neither violated the peace deal nor damaged any public property. "The present situation is the result of the delay in appointment of Qazis and establishment of Darul Qaza," Alam said. He also stated: "The government has already lost its control over 80 per cent of Swat and if the deal is not honoured the government may lose its control over the entire Malakand division."

The TNSM has warned of a ‘storm’ across Pakistan if the Malakand peace deal collapses. "The peace accord has weakened and is shaky," Sufi Muhammad’s son Rizwanullah Farooq said by telephone from Swat. "If it breaks, there will be a storm in the whole country." Meanwhile, TNSM spokesman Ameer Izzat Khan said at a press conference that the Taliban had neither destroyed public property in Maidan nor declared war. He said there was no justification for the operation in Maidan.

May 03

The banned TNSM – which had promised to ensure peace in Swat District in return for the establishment of Sharia (Islamic courts) –rejected the Darul Qaza appellate court set up by the NWFP Government. Ameer Izzat Khan, the chief spokesman for TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad, said the Government had acted unilaterally in establishing the Darul Qaza and had violated the peace agreement. He said it had been decided in a May 1 meeting between the provincial Government and TNSM in Timergara that the former would first announce an end to the operations in Malakand following which the Taliban would declare a cease-fire.

May 04

Calling the Pakistani Government and Army "enemies of Muslims", the Swat Taliban vowed to march forward till death. "Either we’ll be martyred or we’ll march forward," Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told. He said elements in the military and the Government were trying to sabotage the peace process to please the United States. "This is not our army, this is not our Government," he added. They’re worse enemies of Muslims than the Americans. They’re US stooges. "We will give a fitting reply to security forces if Sufi Muhammad decides to revoke the deal with the Government," he said while talking.

The spokesman for TNSM has said establishing peace was the responsibility of the government and not the TNSM. Talking to reporters in Batkhela, he said the TNSM would only be responsible for peace if ‘sharia’ was enforced in the Malakand division. According to the channel, he called for an end to the military action against the Taliban in parts of the division and said peace could not be restored by force and could only come through "the enforcement of sharia". He said the NWFP Government had not consulted the TNSM on the appointment of qazis.

The NWFP Government will not tolerate any violation of the Swat peace agreement any longer, provincial Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain said. Talking to reporters after a seminar, the top NWFP Government spokesman said his Government had demonstrated full sincerity in the promulgation of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation and had announced the establishment of Darul Qaza to fulfil the demands of Sufi Muhammad and the Taliban for peace in Malakand. However he warned of stern action and "the use of the second option" against anyone who would challenge the writ of the state. The minister asked the Taliban to lay down weapons and support the government in its peace initiatives, and told them the government would not tolerate any violation of the agreement in future after the implementation of Nizam-e-Adl.

May 07

The SF killed a son of the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad in a clash with the Taliban in Lower Dir District, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. During an exchange of fire, 10 militants, including Kifayatullah – son of Sufi Muhammad – was killed, it said. The TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said the 43-year-old was killed in helicopter gunship firing in Maidan area. "In an attempt to eliminate and flush out [Taliban] from the area, FC [Frontier Corps] launched an attack in early morning today… During exchange of fire, 10 [Taliban] were killed including Kifayatullah, son of Sufi Muhammad," the ISPR said.

June 4

Security Forces arrested Maulana Sufi Muhammad, chief of the banned outfit TNSM, along with three of his aides from Amandara in the Lower Dir District. Sources told that two other key leaders, including his TNSM spokesman Izzat Khan and Mohammad Alam, were among those arrested. However, there was no official confirmation regarding the arrest.

June 5

SFs said they had killed 10 Taliban militants and arrested four people, including three activists of the TNSM, while 14 SF personnel were killed and 14 others injured in clashes with the Taliban in Malakand Division.

June 7

During clashes between two groups of militants in the Mamond area of Bajaur Agency, four combatants were killed. Supporters of Maulana Faqir Muhammad, of the TTP, and Commander Salar Masood of the TNSM are now reportedly preparing for a major showdown in the area. The clash took place after the Salar group kidnapped Jarar Hussain of the TTP following a dispute over money. According to sources, Salar Masood’s militants were repulsed when they attempted to overrun the headquarters of the TTP in Sewai. The sources said three of the slain militants belonged to the Salar group, Shah Tamas Khan, Zafarullah and Musa Khan, and one to the TTP, Najeebullah. Five men from both sides sustained injuries in the clashes.

July 24

16 militants were killed by the SFs in Maidan, the hometown of the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad in Dir Lower, the paramilitary Frontier Corps said without giving any other details.

June 7

The Taliban attacked a Security Forces’ convoy, killing the TNSM deputy chief Maulana Alam and spokesman Amir Izaat while they were being transported to Peshawar, the NWFP capital. The ISPR Director General Major General Athar Abbas told reporters in Rawalpindi the Taliban attacked the convoy after it hit an improvised explosive device. He said one non-commissioned officer was also killed in the attack, and five others were wounded. He said the convoy was carrying prisoners needed for a "special investigation" by intelligence agencies. Responding to questions, he said the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad was not in custody, but confirmed that TNSM leader Maulana Wahab was currently being interrogated by the SFs.

During a separate press conference in Peshawar, the NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain blamed the Taliban for killing the two TNSM leaders. "There were differences between the TNSM and the Taliban. We are 90 percent certain the terrorists attacked the convoy to kill the two men," he said. "We were told by the TNSM leaders during negotiations that the Taliban were threatening them. So, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind about who carried out (Saturday’s) attack," he added.

June 8

The Taliban have taken 100 members of the TNSM hostage, including the local chief from Mamoond area of Bajaur Agency. A private TV channel reported that differences between the Taliban and the TNSM had intensified, while on the other hand a group of Taliban had refused to fight the military.

June 10

The TNSM Swat unit chief and two other suspects were arrested from the Hayatabad area of provincial capital. Iqbal Khan, who belongs to the Matta area of Swat, was the District chief of the TNSM, while the other two suspects are his relatives. They were reportedly staying in a rented house in Phase-IV of the Hayatabad locality.

July 26

Police arrested the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and three other people from his rented house in the Sethi Town area of Peshawar, capital of the NWFP. The TNSM chief - who resurfaced on July 25 around two months after Operation Rah-e-Rast was launched against the TTP - has been accused of helping the Taliban and sabotaging the Government’s fight against them. Witnesses told that around 12 Policemen raided Sufi Muhammad’s house at around 2pm, and arrested the TNSM chief and three others – identified as Rizwanullah, Ziaullah and Tahir. Two of them are said to be Sufi Muhammad’s sons.

Addressing a press conference, the NWFP Information Minister Main Iftikhar Hussain confirmed the TNSM chief’s arrest. He said Sufi Muhammad resurfaced "a day ago" and announced a meeting of the TNSM executive council in Malakand – an attempt that could have jeopardised peace efforts in the region. The minister said the arrests had been made to maintain law and order. He said the TNSM’s actions in the past may also be investigated.

August 2

Charges of rebellion against the state have been laid against the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad in the Saidu Sharif Police Station in Swat District. A Police official said a First Information Report was registered against Sufi under sections 120-D, 121, 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The official said Sufi was charged with inciting the masses during his address at Grassy Ground in Mingora on April 20, 2009. He said in his address, Sufi had called the Supreme Court and the high courts of Pakistan "un-Islamic". Sufi had also termed all judges, lawyers and pro-democracy clerics "rebels". Sufi was arrested along with his two sons, Ziaullah and Rizwanullah, from Sethi Town in the provincial capital Peshawar on July 26.

August 5

The Government announced that 25 extremist and militant groups and welfare organisations affiliated to them have so far been banned because of their involvement in terrorist activities. In a written reply submitted on August 5 in response to a question in the National Assembly, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the banned organisations included Al Qaeda, SMP, Tehrik Nifaz-i-Fiqah Jafaria, SSP, JuD, Al Akhtar Trust, Al Rasheed Trust (ART), Tehrik-i-Islami, JeM, LeJ, TTP, Islamic Students Movement, Khairun Nisa International Trust, Tehrik-i-Islam Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), LeT, Lashkar-i-Islam, Balochistan Liberation Army, Jamiat-i-Ansar, Jamiatul Furqan, Hizbut Tehrir, Khuddam-i-Islam and Millat-i-Islamia Pakistan.

August 15

13 people, including TNSM District treasurer Saiful Malook, surrendered before a joint operation team comprising Colonel Naseer Janjua, District Commissioner Officer (DCO) Yahya Khan and District Police Officer (DPO) Abdur Rashed Khan. After his surrender, Malook told journalists at Circuit House Daggar that his group was against the violence adopted by the Taliban to enforce sharia laws in Malakand division. He said the TNSM and its leadership had been peacefully struggling for enforcement of sharia and denied any links with the Taliban.

August 27

Swat District Police re-arrested TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad’s sons, after they were freed from the Peshawar Central Prison in NWFP earlier in the day. The Peshawar High Court had said on August 26 the detention of Sufi’s sons – Ziaullah, Rizwanullah and Hayatullah – under Section 3 of the Public Maintenance Order was illegal and unconstitutional and had ordered their release. Peshawar Central Prison sources said that officials of the Swat police spent the night at the central prison and took the three men into custody after prison authorities set them free.

September 2

Maulana Rahim Gul, one of the founding leaders of the outlawed TNSM and a prominent religious scholar, died in the Security Forces’ custody. Rahim Gul had been arrested by the Security Forces some three weeks ago and was being interrogated in connection with Taliban activities in the Shangla District. Official sources said Maulana Rahim Gul had been on a hunger strike for the last several days and he was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital, Alpuri, when his condition deteriorated in the night of September 1. However, he could not survive and died in the hospital.

Security agencies arrested three more sons of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad. A private TV channel reported that the men were arrested along with their families from Pervaiz Colony in the provincial capital Peshawar. The channel said security officials raided a house in the locality to arrest Abdullah, Fazlullah and Abdul Rehman and moved them to an unidentified location. Sufi Muhammad has 11 sons, seven of whom are now under arrest.

September 3

The chief patron of the outlawed TNSM, Maulana Safiullah, surrendered along with two supporters in Ber Shoor. Maulana Safiullah is a close associate of the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad.

Date

Incident

July 24

The TNSM Bajaur Agency chief Ismail Muhammadi surrendered along with six other militants at Khar, the headquarters of the Bajaur Agency in FATA and announced their full support for the Pakistan Army in the war against terrorism. According to political administration officials, Ismail surrendered along with six other terrorists to the political authorities in a grand tribal jirga of the Badan tribe in Mohmand tehsil, which was held at Khar.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government delayed the trial of banned TNSM 'chief' Sufi Mohammad after the prosecution department failed to produce solid evidence and witnesses against him. Official sources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department revealed that first the TNSM chief's trial was delayed due to security reasons and TTP threat to anti-terrorism judge and it was decided to run his trial in Central Prison Peshawar.

Swat Qaumi Jirga demanded exemplary punishment for the wanted militant leaders including outlawed TNSM leader Maulana Sufi Mohammad, Swat TTP 'chief' Maulana Fazlullah and TTP spokesman Muslim Khan. The members of the jirga met at Mingora and urged security personnel to treat people of Swat as human beings. "Swat is not an occupied land to treat its people like third-rate citizens," they said.

Date

Incident

January 3

An anti-terrorism court judge started the trial of TNSM 'chief' Maulana Sufi Muhammad amid tight security in the Central Prison of Peshawar, the Provincial Capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

January 17

An anti-terrorism court of Peshawar framed charges against TNSM ‘chief’ Maulana Sufi Muhammad in various cases and fixed January 31 for recording evidences against him.

A special anti-terrorism court in Peshawar has formally indicted Sufi Mohammad, 'chief' of TNSM. Special court judge Aasim Imam delivered his verdict in two cases and indicted Sufi Mohammad. The hearing was held in a special court set up in the Peshawar Jail. Hearing of two other cases has been adjourned until June 27 due to absence of the authorities concerned.

ATC acquitted three sons of the 'chief' of TNSM, Maulana Sufi Muhammad. Judge Asim Imam acquitted Abdullah, Abdur Rehman and Fazlullah, who were charged by the Saidu Sharif Police with treason, terrorism and murder, after the prosecution failed to prove its case. The accused were charged by the Saidu Sharif Police under various sections of laws including the Anti-Terrorism Act on February 16, 2008. The Police officials, however, said that the accused were only acquitted in cases registered against them by the Saidu Sharif Police Station and were still in Police custody in connection to other cases.

ATC in Swat acquitted the sons of Maulana Sufi Mohmmad, chief of the banned TNSM, in another case. Sufi's three sons - Abdullah, Fazlullah and Abdur Rehman - were charged for involvement in a suicide attack on Mingora Police Station in January 2009. The ATC acquitted the men after the police failed to present witnesses against them during the prosecution. The three men were earlier acquitted by the ATC in a different case due to insufficient proof. The men, however, are still in Police custody under 48 more charges, trials of which are underway in the ATC.

Date

Incident

January 3

An anti-terrorism court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 34 TNSM and Swat Taliban leaders for non-compliance with the court order to appear in a case. The case was registered against TNSM Chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and others for anti-state and anti-judiciary speeches at the Grassy Ground in Mingora, Swat in 2009. Maulana Sufi Muhammad, his three sons Hayatullah, Rizwanullah and Ziaullah and another TNSM leader Mufti Safiullah appeared in the Swat Anti-Terrorism Court headed by Syed Asim Imam in the case. However, 34 others who had delivered anti-state and anti-judiciary speeches were absent from the court.