Pakistani army declares victory in anti-Taliban offensive in northwest’s Orakzai tribal region
By APTuesday, June 1, 2010
Pakistan declares victory over Taliban in Orakzai
ISLAMABAD — The Pakistani army says it has defeated the Taliban in the northwestern Orakzai tribal region and its operation there is over.
A statement from the military Tuesday says displaced civilians are expected to be able to return soon.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani official has promised “full protection” for the Ahmadi religious sect after Islamist militants killed 93 of the group’s members.
The Ahmadis say the government does not protect them and actively discriminates against them.
Pakistani officials blame the Pakistani Taliban for Friday’s attacks on two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore.
Shahbaz Bhatti, the country’s minister for minorities and himself a Christian, said Tuesday that he would do whatever is possible to protect Ahmadis in the future.
Ahmadis are reviled as heretics by mainstream Muslims because of their belief that their sect’s founder is a savior foretold by the Quran. Pakistani law forbids Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslim or engaging in Islamic rituals.
