Wazoo. And even as some Taliban capos were earlier telling news hounds that talks were taking place, Hafiz Gul Bahadur was threatening the government from North Waziristan and forbidding civilians from working on army-led infrastructure projects in his area. Meanwhile,...back at the mall, Clarissa spent the day shopping for new underwear. Tonight was going to be a special occasion...
some reports said the ceasefire is limited to South Waziristan, while others claimed it is countrywide. Neither ring true. Kurram and Orakzai agencies continue to see festivities between cut-throats and security forces, and the latter were attacked in South Waziristan last month. Schools continue to be blown up in several areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
and Fata. Targeted killings of administration officials have not ceased; over Eid, a suicide kaboom in Swabi killed a former nazim
...small time big shot, the chief elected official of a local government in Pakistan, such as a district, tehsil, union council, or village council...
belonging to the Awami National Party.
Speak to those with knowledge of how the Taliban are faring, and they will confirm that there is reason for scepticism. Despite these recent attacks, the TTP appears to be on the back foot in many tribal areas, and the Bajaur,
Mohmand... Named for the Mohmand clan of the Sarban Pahstuns, a truculent, quarrelsome lot. In Pakistain, the Mohmands infest their eponymous Agency, metastasizing as far as the plains of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar, Charsadda, and Mardan. Mohmands are also scattered throughout Pakistan in urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta. In Afghanistan they are mainly found in Nangarhar and Kunar...
and Swat
...a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistain, located 99 mi from Islamabad. It is inhabited mostly by Pashto speakers. The place has gone steadily downhill since the days when Babe Ruth was the Sultan of Swat...
leaderships seem to have decamped to Afghanistan. In this context, suggestions of talks may in reality have been feelers sent out by the Taliban in light of the all-party conference resolution of Sept 29 that said the Pak administration would hold a dialogue "with our own people in the tribal areas". The fact is that the implementation of that resolution is in the very early stages; the parliamentary committee in charge of it was formed just a few days ago. But as it does move towards talks, the administration must keep in mind the long list of past failed negotiations with the Taliban. If the TTP really is on the back foot, that is a position any grinding of the peace processor must take full advantage of.