ISLAMIST MILITANCY IN SOUTH & NORTH WAZIRISTAN DISTRICTS

Abstract

Taliban militancy in the tribal districts of North and South Waziristan is a hangover from the colonial past. Enshrined in the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR), weak state conditions especially on counts of legislation, judicial arbitration and execution have historically paved the way for armed mobilizations in these districts. After the independence of Pakistan, the central government continued with the colonial dispensation of the FCR in North and South Waziristan. Like previously under the British Raj, the occurrence of armed mobilizations continued unabated after the independence. This study purports to sketch an historical account of militancy in the pre and post-independence eras and to account for the occurrence of militancy from the British advent in these two tribal districts until the rise of Taliban there after the US invasion of Afghanistan. Secondary and primary sources and survey method were used for the conduct of the research. Secondary sources include books, research articles, and newspaper and magazine reports. Primary sources that were used include constitution and the FCR followed by a couple of interviews.