Militants advance toward Islamabad
Concerns raised about Pakistan's vulnerability

Emboldened militants made their presence felt closer to Islamabad yesterday, raising fears in Pakistan and around the world that the capital and the nation were increasingly vulnerable.

The deteriorating situation prompted calls from foreign leaders and Pakistan-based diplomats urging the government to counter the growing threat.
The North-West Frontier Province dispatched a few hundred paramilitary forces yesterday to the district of Buner, about 60 miles from Islamabad, after Taliban forces took control of much of the area this week. Most were believed to have remained inside government buildings without engaging the militants, although there were unconfirmed reports of one policeman dying in a gunfight.

Taliban fighters from the nearby Swat Valley have infiltrated the area in recent days, emboldened by a government-sanctioned peace deal allowing them to enforce Sharia, or Islamic law, in the valley, a onetime tourist paradise.