...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
, calling them a conspiracy to derail the grinding of the peace processor, media reports said.
At least 19 people were killed and more than 80 others injured in two separate incidents of terrorism in the capitals of Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
earlier Friday. An increasingly active Taliban splinter group Ahrarul Hind or "Liberators of India" -- a name referring to the whole of the subcontinent -- grabbed credit for the attacks. "We claim both Peshawar and Quetta attacks," their chief, Umar Qasmi, told Rooters. "We don't abide by these talks and will continue to stage attacks."
The leadership of the Pak Taliban immediately distanced itself from the Friday attacks. "The TTP strongly condemns the Peshawar and Quetta blasts," said TTP front man Shahidullah Shahid. "We have no connection to these attacks because we are observing a ceasefire." Following a meeting of two members of the Taliban's negotiating committee with Taliban Shura, Maulana Samiul Haq
...the
Godfather of the Taliban,leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as
Mullah Sandwichfor his habit of having two young boys at a time...
, head of the committee nominated by the TTP, expressed hope for full restoration of peace in the country.
The meeting took place in Miranshah
... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a
ministatein centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas...
, the main town of troubled North
Wazoo tribal agency bordering Afghanistan. It was attended by Sheikh Khalid Haqqani, Qari Shakeel, Azam Tariq, Shahidullah Shahid, Sajid Mohmand and Ahsanullah Ahsan. Maulana Yousuf Shah and Professor Ibrahim represented Taliban committee. It was decided to hold the direct talks in Azad Mandi area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district. However,there's more than one way to stuff a chicken...
the Taliban leadership apprised their nominated negotiators of their reservations.
Responding to Maulana Samiul Haq's request of further extending the month-long ceasefire, Taliban leaders told the negotiators that a final decision in this regard would be made after a formal meeting of the Shura in coming days. Speaking to media representatives in Akora Khattak, Haq said both members of the Taliban talks committee came back satisfied after the meeting. "The meeting (direct talks) is expected in a couple of days with the newly formed government committee," he said.
"We will facilitate the direct talks ... and results will be presented before parliament also." The chief of his own faction of Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...the political wing of the Pak Taliban...
(JUI-S), who is also known as "Father of Taliban" in the West, said their first priority will be to get freed imprisoned children and women as demanded by the Taliban leadership. He showed optimism regarding positive outcome of the direct talks saying members of the new government committee are experienced with regards to the tribal areas.
"Today's incidents in Quetta and Peshawar are part of a conspiracy being hatched to derail the grinding of the peace processor," said the JUI-S chief. He said surgical operations conducted by the country's armed forces had failed to obtain desired results in the past and only ended up in spreading havoc in the tribal areas. The TTP's position has spurred speculation that the central command is not fully in control of the many splinter groups operating under it, and reaching a peace deal with one of them would not stop the violence.
Ahrarul Hind, which splintered from the Pak Taliban just a month ago, had previously grabbed credit for an attack in central Islamabad earlier this month when jacket wallahs and gunnies killed 11 people including an additional district and sessions judge. Pak Sherlocks believe that Qasmi, the leader of the group, is capable of drawing support from other hard boy outfits, including several linked to al Qaeda that have wreaked bloody havoc in the country over the last decade.