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| India-Pakistan |
| Swat Taliban reject peace negotiations |
| 2008-07-01 |
| The Tehreek-e-Taliban of Swat on Monday refused an invitation to attend peace negotiations that had been extended to them by the NWFP government. In a telephonic interview, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that they had refused the government’s invitation for another round of peace talks. However, he maintained that their peace agreement with the government remained intact. He said the peace talks had been halted after Baitullah Mehsud did the same. “We (Swat Taliban) will immediately end our peace agreement with the NWFP government if Baitullah Mehsud orders it,” Khan said, adding that Monday’s meeting would have discussed the withdrawal of troops, end of all checkposts and release of Taliban prisoners. The spokesman expressed ignorance about a statement from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Maulvi Omar that all peace agreements had been dissolved, maintaining that the Swat Taliban still had an agreement with the government. On Monday, the government peace committee, in a meeting, said that it had forwarded an invitation for decisive peace negotiations to the militants in Swat. NWFP Environment Minister Wajid Ali Khan, a key mediator, did not attend the meeting in Saidu Sharif. Swat District Co-ordination Officer Shaukat Ali Yousafzai told Daily Times that the committee had invited the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to peace negotiations but they had refused. He said they claimed to have suspended negotiations on the directives of Mullah Fazlullah. Regional Co-ordination Officer Fazal Karim Khattak, however, said he was still attempting to engage in peace talks. |
| Posted by:Fred |