Pakistan ends Swat offensive
Pakistan today signalled the end of its anti-Taliban offensive in the Swat Valley.
The government is to allow the two million people who fled the fighting to return home next week, saying the region was now secure.
The refugees are staying in crowded camps and in homes just south of the north-west region.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said: “The electricity has been restored, the gas has been restored, the gas stations have been restored and even the banks have been restored.”
The military launched the Swat offensive more than two months ago after Taliban violated the terms of a cease-fire and began advancing into areas close to the capital. The army claims to have cleared nearly all the valley and killed more than 1,500 militants.
The offensive was praised by the West, which has tried for years to get Pakistan to crack down on militants close to the Afghan border. The insurgents are blamed for spiralling violence in both Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.
