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| India-Pakistan |
| Critics of govt-militant peace deals slammed |
| 2008-06-05 |
| NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Wednesday lashed out at the critics of peace deals the provincial government had reached with militant groups in Swat. “Someone had to make a start … and we did it,” Hussain said at the end of a three-day training workshop for TV journalists at Peshawar Press Club. The workshop was jointly organised by the Canadian High Commission, Islamabad, and the press club. Acting Canadian High Commissioner Nicholas Coghlan was also present. Hussain said the release of Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi leader Sufi Muhammad on April 21 and the signing of a peace deal with militant cleric Maulana Fazlullah on May 9 would “pay dividends” to bring about peace in the region. The minister criticised the previous government for not releasing Sufi Muhammad earlier. He said the Frontier province had become a battleground and the innocent Pashtuns were being killed. “We cannot allow the bloodbath of our people. We have to bring peace to our areas,” Hussain added. |
| Posted by:Fred |