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| India-Pakistan |
| Govt frees 12 Taliban prisoners in Swat |
| 2009-03-08 |
| The government on Saturday released 12 Taliban prisoners after a meeting in Swat of a delegation of the Tehreek-Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) and the NWFP government. Awami National Party (ANP) NWFP President Afrasiyab Khattak, provincial Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain, the Malakand division commissioner, and representatives of the TNSM and the local peace committee attended the meeting. Sharia: It was decided that sharia would be formally implemented in Malakand region, including Swat district, from next week after the government released the 12 Taliban, a spokesman for a pro-Taliban cleric said. They agreed to open the Qambar-Takhtaband road, Amir Izzat Khan, spokesman for TNSM chief Sufi Muhammad said. The spokesman said it was also decided that qazis would begin taking up cases under the Islamic law from March 12, three days prior to an earlier deadline of March 15 set by the TNSM chief. Earlier on Friday, NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti had said that his government would not free Taliban prisoners who were in the black and grey categories of security agencies, but had promised to release those falling in the white category. Official sources said no prominent Taliban was among the freed prisoners, who were set free at the Circuit House in Mingora. Meanwhile, unidentified men abducted six people from Saidu Sharif tehsil of Mingora, witnesses said. |
| Posted by:Fred |