t was not as if the men who descended from the weathered hills of Matta in August, went unnoticed. The elders, who remembered the last round all too well, expressed their reservations in local jirgas. At the heart of the matter were the residents of Matta, who reported that the men were not only armed but were also seen issuing directives. Some of the citizens said they were told not to go out after 8 pm. A few days later, they were also told not to venture into the mountains. Next, a barbed wire appeared, blocking the pathways leading up.

On August 8, the Taliban opened fire on a police party and took the injured policemen, including a DSP, hostage. A truce was later announced after the intervention of a local jirga. Fear soon gripped the entire valley. In the aftermath of these incidents, the residents came out in droves on August 12 to stage a peaceful demonstration and demand that peace be reinstated in the district.

For the people of Matta, the tehsil where the Taliban had their headquarters twelve years ago, this was an ominous sign. They alerted the authorities, voiced their concerns on social media and, eventually, staged a series of protest demonstrations. They demanded that the authorities pay heed to the threat.

After the news spread, the atmosphere became tense in Swat. This was bad news not only for the residents of rural areas but also for local businesses. August marks the peak season for tourism in Swat. The instability caused by the violent disturbances in the district made many tourists in upper Swat, Bahrain and Kalam valley leave overnight. It discouraged many more from visiting.

This dented the local economy that was already struggling after the floods that inundated parts of the district. It is estimated that people associated with the industry lost more than half of their income. Many hoteliers the TNS spoke to said that the rents of hotels and tourist lodgings dropped by half this season. Commenting on how the recent acts of terror would affect the tourism sector, they said that such incidents could perpetuate the stereotype of an unsafe Swat and deter tourists.

Swat is a gorgeous valley, renowned for its scenic beauty, cultural diversity and rich heritage. Unfortunately, it is also known for a conflict-affected past. I remember that when in 2008, I invited a few of my friends to visit me in the valley. “You want to kill us?” was how one of them responded. I let it go because the reaction was rooted in the fear that arose when a terror wave swept through the area from 2004 till 2009. During this period, Swat had fallen to the Taliban.

After the Taliban militias took over the valley, a blanket ban was imposed on girls’ education. In the last months of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, Swat saw much bloodshed. The Grain Chowk in Mingora city came to be known as Khooni Chowk (Bloody Square). In late 2007 and May 2009, two military operations conducted to flush out the insurgents resulted in the displacement of millions of citizens.

The public protests are a strong indication that the people of Swat are not willing to tolerate terrorist acts. By consistently organising protests, they have made it clear that a disruption of their everyday lives will not be tolerated. 

After a peace agreement was signed in Swat in February 2009, the Taliban occupied the remaining areas of Swat, including the Bahrain and Kalam valleys, as well as parts of Dir and Buner districts that had not been under their control before the peace deal. The peace deal also resulted in many of the locals joining the Taliban because it legitimised the position of the once-proscribed group.

By September 2022, there was a marked uptick in incidents of violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.The law and order situation deteriorated and there was an increase in the incidents of extortion and kidnapping for ransom. The TTP claimed responsibility for several attacks in Swat including an IED attack that killed eight people including Idrees Khan, the leader of the Swat Peace Committee.

Over the past few months, the residents of Swat have protested several times to demand credible security. So what are they hoping for in the new year?

The difference between how the people responded to the rising violence in 2022 and 2008 has been stark. This time around, they made sure to announce that Swat belonged to them and not the Taliban. There was no ambiguity as several protests were held to decry the acts of terror and demand protection.

Before 2010, some of the citizens had been ambivalent. Some people had held the Taliban in high regard because of territorial realities. Others had supported their ideology. Support for the Taliban was thinly disguised even in mainstream media. Some people saw the Taliban insurgency as a resistance to the elite rule. There was no collective resistance from the people of Swat. Apart from some small groups of civil society, Swat was silent. As a result, the insurgency was seen by many as local and spontaneous.

In 2022, the people of Swat have come out in large numbers to protest a rise in militancy and call for peace. On October 11, gunmen opened fire on a school van, killing the driver and injuring two children. In response to the incident, which served as a reminder of the past, residents of Swat organised two protest demonstrations and demanded that the government ensure their safety.

Never before had Swat seen such remarkable, inclusive and sustained resistance against the rise of the Taliban. People of Dir and other parts of Malakand division have followed suit by staging similar demonstrations in their areas. From street hawkers to university professors, everyone seemed to be on the same page about the Taliban: they had to leave. Social media also played an instrumental role by becoming a driver for citizen journalism. On some occasions, it was also used to build pressure on the government. This may be one of the reasons why the arrival of the Taliban did not go unnoticed not just in Matta but also in the rest of the country.

The public protests in Swat and Dir and the outcry on social media are an indication that the people of Swat are not willing to tolerate any attempt to rule them by terror. By consistently organising protests, they have made it clear that any disruptions of their everyday lives will not be tolerated and that they blame the government for those.

For 2023, the people of Swat want peace. They have made their position amply clear.

The writer is a researcher and a minority language activist based in Swat. He tweets @zubairtorwali