| The government will not pardon militants even if they lay down their arms now, NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti said on Wednesday. In an interview to a private TV channel, Hoti said foreign Taliban present in the Tribal Areas have harmed the law and order in the region and were to be blamed for scrapping a peace agreement with the provincial government. He said that the government believed in non-violence, but that did not mean it would hand over the province to the Taliban. The chief minister said that the government preferred negotiations for attaining peace, but would not hesitate to use force where it deemed necessary. He said the attacks on security forces, government officials and establishments and the burning down of girls' schools had forced the government to deploy military in the area, adding that it would not be a silent spectator to the militant activities. Hoti said that the NWFP government had no differences with the governor and did not want him replaced. |