NWFP Govt strikes peace deal with Fazlullah
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—The cabinet committee constituted by the NWFP Cabinet for peace in Swat District on Friday signed a ceasefire agreement with Maulana Fazlullah after holding successful talks with his team at Fishing Hut Chakdara in Dir Lower District.
Both the sides agreed to move forward peace process through talks. The people of Swat have welcomed the ceasefire agreement.
The cabinet committee headed by Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour comprising Provincial Minister Wajid Ali Khan, MPA Dr. Shamsher Ali and Central Information Secretary ANP Zahid Khan Friday held talks with spokesman Maulana Fazlullah including Haji Muslim Khan, and representatives Mehmud Khan, Maulana Muhammad Amin, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor, Muhammad Nisar, Shamsher and Ali Bakht at Fishing Hut Chakdara in Dir Lower District.
The peace talks were held between representatives of Maulana Fazlullah and the cabinet committee. However sources close to the committee informed that it was held in cordial atmosphere and the local Taliban agreed to give up militancy.
Member of the committee, Provincial Minister Wajid Ali Khan termed the meeting fruitful as the parties to the conflict agreed to ceasefire. The representatives of Maulana Fazlullah assured not to target government installations in district Swat and pledged to go by the ceasefire agreement, he maintained.
The cabinet committee also assured that the government would not take any action against the local Taliban, he said, adding, next round of the peace talks would be held soon in order to make arrangements for durable peace in the district.
Wajid Ali Khan said, use of force was no option to settle disputes as peace could be restored only through talks and negotiations. The ruling party in NWFP Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday held dialogue with local Taliban operating in Swat to settle the issues on negotiating
table and restore peace in the area.
In first phase of the dialogue, both the sides agreed on ceasefire as confidence building measure, ANP spokesman Zahid Khan told a private television (Geo News).
He termed first round of the talks ‘positive’ and expressed the hope that the negotiations would achieve positive results and normalcy would return to the area soon. Central leader of ANP Bashir Ahmed Bilour led the delegation of provincial government, while the other side was represented by a seven-member delegation of Maulana Fazlullah.
Zahid Khan said, Taliban gave assurance that no vehicle and check post of the security forces or official building would
be attacked during the ceasefire. The area of Swat falls in the jurisdiction of Provincially Administered Tribal Area (PATA), while some other tribal areas come under Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).