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.
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.", dpa reported.
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