Taliban in Control of North Western Pakistan

Posted by Christine Welter May 14, 2009

A detailed map published by the BBC Urdu's service shows that only 38% of the north western provinces in Pakistan are under government control. The Pakistan conflict map gives a detailed snapshot of the conflict area.

BBC news also quotes displaced Pakistanis who were forced to leave everything behind.

Majid (24), a student who escaped from Mingora was among the lucky who could hire a truck to escape to Peshawar:

"I am staying at a university hostel with friends. My family is at some relatives' house. Many joined refugee camps, but those must be full, because I see lots of people lying on the roads, people for whom there's no accommodation or help." (...)

"I feel depressed. Swat has been brought back to the Stone Age. Each and every individual has left. There's no life there any more. I am not hopeful that things will get better any time soon - they can't clear this mess up in a hundred years." (BBC, 'Everything Destroyed' in Swat Valley)