Article

2006-09-06 India-Pakistan

Wazoo Taliban sign peace deal with government

Taliban militants signed a peace agreement with the government on Tuesday, pledging not to launch cross-border attacks in Afghanistan and not to shelter foreign fighters, officials said. The peace deal aims to end two years of violence in North Waziristan, where hundreds of people have died in clashes between security forces and Taliban militants. The Taliban had been observing a unilateral ceasefire since June. Taliban representative Azad Khan and North Waziristan chief administrator Dr Fakhar-e-Alam signed the agreement at the football stadium of Government Degree College in Miranshah, in the presence of army commander Major General Azhar Ali Shah. Misunderstandings between the administration and Taliban led to unpleasant moments, but we are happy that a new beginning starts today, MNA Maulana Nek Zaman of the MMA said at the ceremony, witnessed by around 500 tribesmen. A 10-member committee of tribal elders, clerics and administration officials was set up to monitor the progress and implementation of the agreement, a government statement read.

Under the agreement, the Taliban accepted the government demand that cross-border attacks would not be launched nor foreign militants sheltered. They also agreed not to attack government buildings or security forces, and not to conduct target killings of government servants, tribal elders and journalists. In return, the government agreed to stop air and ground operations; return all weapons and other material seized during operations; restore privileges of tribesmen; and remove all check-posts. It was the toughest jirga I ever participated in, Malik Shehzada said of the 45-member jirga that negotiated the agreement with militant commanders over several weeks.

Shahzaman Khan, spokesman for the NWFP governors FATA Secretariat, said the two parties expressed their firm resolve to abide by all the conditions laid down in the agreement for establishment of an enduring peace in the tribal areas, particularly in North Wazirstan Agency.

Continued from Page 1

He said the jirga found it hardest to convince the Taliban commanders to agree not to launch cross-border raids for attacks on US-led forces and not to shelter foreign militants. The government called the occasion historic. It is almost unprecedented in tribal history that such a complicated issue has been amicably resolved within a few weeks, NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai said

Locals also welcomed the peace deal. Today is a very special day because peace is restored to North Waziristan, trader Haji Syed Halim said. Our businesses, which were seriously affected by clashes, will bloom again.

Posted by Fred 2006-09-06 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 WTF?!

Posted by bigjim-ky 2006-09-06 19:23|| 2006-09-06 19:23|| Front Page Top

18:19 Angstrom
17:48 49 Pan
17:38 Lord Garth
17:29 alanc
17:09 BrerRabbit
16:13 Pancho Poodle8452
16:08 Beavis
16:08 Lord Garth
15:52 Lord Garth
15:28 trailing wife
15:26 Pancho Poodle8452
15:26 trailing wife
14:34 Frank G
14:28 Melancholic
14:27 NoMoreBS
14:14 swksvolFF
14:12 swksvolFF
13:54 mossomo
13:51 mossomo
13:50 NoMoreBS
13:50 Abu Uluque
13:44 Abu Uluque
13:41 NoMoreBS
13:39 Abu Uluque