Kyrgyzstan’s interim government on Wednesday blamed toppled President Kurmanbek Bakiyev for hiring “provocateurs” to instigate the deadly riots in the south of the country.
Mr Bakiyev was deposed by violent street protests in April and later fled the country, taking refuge in Belarus. He has said he played no part in organising the riots, which left at least 187 dead.
Mr Bakiyev and his family “sent tens of hirelings, hired hundreds of provocateurs to carry out their criminal plan,” the interim government, led by Roza Otunbayeva, said in a statement.
“The real reason for the tragedy that took place is terrorist sabotage planned and carried out by members of the deposed clan banished from Kyrgyzstan.”
Mr Bakiyev drew his political support largely from his homeland in the south of the country and initially tried to rally his followers there, before fleeing the country.
On Tuesday, Kyrgyzstan’s first deputy president accused Mr Bakiyev’s son Maxim of paying $10 million to organise the inter-ethnic riots.
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Taliban reappears in Bajaur?
REZAUL H. LASKAR
ISLAMABAD
The Taliban have reappeared in the Bajaur tribal region of northwest Pakistan despite a two-year-long successful military operation to flush them out from the area, according to a media report on Wednesday.
Following their return to the region, the Taliban have warned the Levies Force, a local militia, through letters to stop the offensive against militants or to be prepared to face the consequences.
Sources were quoted by the Daily Times newspaper as saying that the letter written on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan letterheads was distributed in several areas of Mamoond and Khar sub-divisions of Bajaur agency on Monday.
The letter said the Pakistani Taliban would continue its fight against the US and its allies in Bajaur agency. The Taliban asked the Levies Force to stop actions against the militants. Local residents said they feared for their safety after the distribution of the threatening letter. Tariq Hayat Khan, the law and order secretary for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, had told a press briefing on April 19 that the security forces had cleared most of Bajaur agency after operations. —PTI