Eyewitness: Battle for Waziristan

By Haroon Rashid BBC News, Miran Shah

There is an uneasy calm after a curfew in Miran Shah

Winding through the dry mountains in our vehicle towards the hotspot of Miran Shah in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, the first signs of trouble are visible from far away.

Two US-supplied helicopter gunships were hovering over the town, showing us the way.

Miran Shah has been at the centre of recent fierce clashes between troops and pro-Taleban militants. Officials say 140 people have been killed.

As we moved forward, we tried to pass a military convoy comprising 10 vehicles.

We were stopped by initially hostile soldiers in flak jackets and helmets. The soldiers were armed with light and heavy weapons mounted on their vehicles.

They asked for our identity. After verification, we were not only allowed to go further but to film them patrolling on the streets.

Destruction

As we drove towards the town centre an uneasy calm was visible. Some tribesmen were seen standing on the roadside with Kalashnikovs and pistols hanging from their shoulders.

Why should I move? It's not something new. This is our country Local resident Madad Khan

It showed how much on edge these people were.

The long, straight road through Miran Shah's main market wore a deserted look.

At the far end, we could see another group of soldiers blocking the road.

We started walking towards them taking pictures and talking to some local people left behind to look after their shops and business.

No sound of gunshots or rockets being fired. Apart from the noise of the helicopters overhead, the silence was broken by announcements on loudspeaker in Pashto by a military convoy.

It said: "Indian agents have infiltrated this region. They want to inflict damage on the government, the army and you. Be aware of them and help us against them."

The local Taleban were not visible, but the main market wore signs of two days of intense fighting.

Destroyed shops and vehicles showed the intensity of clashes that had taken place here over the weekend.

Miran Shah has a big market of smuggled vehicles from Afghanistan. A number of vehicles parked in showrooms, listed as "bargains", were badly hit by flying rockets and bullets.

The intensity of the blasts could be gauged from the fact that a vehicle had been thrown upside down.

Fleeing for safety

The troops at the far end asked us to stop walking towards them. They yelled and they pointed their weapons at us.

Cars damaged by fighting in Miran Shah

The officials also seized a video film from a fellow cameraman. We were turned back.

On the way back, we spoke to the local tribesmen. All their anger was aimed at the government.

"The rulers are not dealing with the situation properly. All this present day turmoil is because of lack of development, in fact education," said an elderly doctor, Madad Khan.

Dr Madad is among the few residents who refused to leave the town.

"Why should I move? It's not something new. This is our country."

Nearly 80% of the residents, it seems, did not agree with Dr Madad and had already fled the fighting by the time we arrived.

As I spoke to Dr Madad, other tribesmen gathered around us while the helicopters hovered over our heads. They complained of lack of electricity causing water shortages and the closure of the market leading to food scarcity.

"What shall we eat in the next few days after our stocks end? Shall we eat dirt or grass?" asked an angry Haji Sher Mohammad, in a voice that was close to a shout.

'Lucky to be alive'

This brief but out-of-the ordinary visit to Miran Shah could not have been possible without the help of a former seminary head-turned-driver Hafiz Gul Janat.

The only problem was that President Musharraf wanted to present US President Bush with a gift in blood Driver Hafiz Gul Janat

While no driver was ready to take us on a tour of Miran Shah, he volunteered readily.

"Let me show you what's being done to us," the 31-year-old said to us, holding his AK-47 by his side.

Luckily the soldiers at Aisha Checkpost, some 10km (6.5 miles) from Miran Shah, comforted us by verifying that he was trustworthy.

On the way back, Hafiz Gul Janat gave us an insight into a tribesman's mind.

"There is no al-Qaeda in Waziristan. The only problem was that President Musharraf wanted to present US President Bush with a gift in blood.

"We will definitely take care of Bush when we will have the means, but I must assure you we will do something for Musharraf too."

The urge to see the Taleban who caused all this uproar forced us to stop at the small village of Edak near Miran Shah.

On the roadside sat a dozen armed Taleban with their trademark long hair.

They said the revolt would continue until the government changed its ways.

On reaching the town of Bannu, the news that the top government official for North Waziristan, Syed Zaheerul Islam, had been attacked on the same road that we had travelled a few hours earlier reminded us how lucky we had been.