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Ceasefire reached in Pakistan's restive valley
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 09 - 05 - 2008


Pakistani government and the pro-Taliban
militants Friday agreed on a ceasefire in Pakistan's restive north-
western district of Swat, hours after a policeman was killed in an
attack on a security convoy in the area, officials said, according to dpa.
The truce was reached in a meeting between the government of
North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP), which is lead by liberal
Awami National Party (ANP), and the representatives of radical cleric
Maulana Fazlullah in Chakdara area of the district.
Wajid Ali Khan, a provincial minister, who attended the meeting
together with two other senior ministers, confirmed to Deutsche
Presse-Agenture dpa that the accord had been reached with the
militants.
"It was our first direct contact with Taliban, a confidence
building measure. We have agreed on a ceasefire. We are meeting again
within a week," the minister said.
Fazlullah's spokesman, Muslim Khan, who also participated in the
parleys, told dpa that; "it was an effort for restoring peace in the
region. We have agreed on ceasefire."
Under the agreement, the militants ensured that they would observe
the ceasefire and halt attacks on the state property, troops and
girls' schools. The government in return assured not to arrest any of
Fazlullah's followers or pound their hideouts.
The agreement came hours after the suspected militants ambushed a
security convoy in Swat district, leaving one policeman killed.
Security forces were searching and cordoning off an area in Kabal
when they were fired upon, the army said in a statement.
One police officer and three paramilitary soldiers were injured in
the ambush, it said.
Violence swept through Swat late last year when the military
launched an offensive against Fazlullah, whose men took control of
key towns in the district and enforced self-defined Mohammedan laws.
Fighting between the militants and government troops continued for
several weeks, leaving hundreds of people dead.
A fragile ceasefire was reached in March after the newly-elected
NWFP government offered to hold peace talks with the pro-Taliban
fighters in Swat and tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, where the
Taliban once ruled until they were forced from power in a US-led
offensive in late 2001.
The peace process was halted on April 28 when a spokesman of the
militant umbrella organization - Tehrik Taliban Pakistan - announced
it would suspend negotiations with the authorities.
Since then, the militants in Swat and other areas have renewed
their assaults on security forces.
But this did not impede the peace negotiations which led to a
preliminary peace agreement.
Indirect peace dialogue between Islamic rebels and the government
is also underway in the tribal belt, which is believed to be safe-
havens for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants launching cross-border
attacks on international forces in Afghanistan.
This has raised concern in United States which leads the fight
against terrorism in the war-torn country.
US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said in Washington on
May 5 that his country expected "Pakistan's civilian and military
leadership to be strong partners against violent extremists in
Pakistan's frontier areas."
"Let me be clear," he added, "we will not be satisfied until all
the violent extremism emanating from the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas is brought under control."


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