(Xinhua) -- The ruling party in northwestern Pakistan province on Friday held dialogue with local Taliban operating in Swat valley to settle issues on negotiating table and restore peace in the area. The Awami National Party (ANP) of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the local Taliban agreed on ceasefire as confidence building measure, ANP spokesman Zahid Khan told a private Geo TV channel. Khan termed first round of the talks "positive" and expressed the hope that the negotiations would achieve positive results and normalcy would return to Swat soon. Swat used to be a scenic spot for tourists from around the world.
The delegation of provincial government held talks with a seven-member delegation of Maulana Fazlullah, who is now leading a militant organization which once claimed that they would not lay down arms until the government would enforce Shariah law, or Islamic law.
Taliban gave assurance that no vehicle and checkpost of the security forces or official building would be attacked during the ceasefire, Khan said. The new Pakistani government, since its formation in March, has pledged to hold talks with the militants who will renounce violence and lay down their arms.