Refugees told they must fight extremists
By Agence France-Presse in Peshawar | China Daily | Updated: 2015-05-19 07:42
Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis displaced by anti-Taliban military operations in tribal areas wish to return home - but they have to agree to fight the extremists.
June marks one year since the army launched an offensive in this region of northwest Pakistan, which became a refuge for jihadists after the Afghan Taliban was driven from power across the border.
On the Taliban's fall in 2001, tribal chiefs welcomed them with open arms, or were forced to, transforming the area into a hub for the global jihadi movement, hosting fighters from al-Qaida, the Haqqani network and European apprentice militants, targeted by US drone strikes.
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