People of Mingora, the main town of Swat, have begun to feel the impact of the deal the government has stuck with Sufi cleric Maulana Muhammad.
This is the second deal in as many years with the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi chief, who stands for implementation of Sharia, particularly its system for quick justice in the tribal belt.
On his part, he has promised to bring around his hard-line son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah for a permanent cease-fire. Fazlullah is the most powerful Taliban leader and his forces have swept through the area in the past six months.
Western governments and moderate Pakistanis have described the deal as government surrender to ruthless militants, who have banned music and dancing, television and internet cafes. Women cannot leave home without wearing a burqa, the all-encompassing robe. Justice has been enforced with floggings and public executions in the picturesque Swat Valley which is compared to Switzerland for its scenic beauty.
Father-in-law and son-in-law have met over the weekend but the details about their ‘agreement’ are sketchy. One source said Taliban had agreed not to display weapons and to dismantle their check posts but another sources said ‘You can’t ask a Pukhtun not to keep weapons.”
On Saturday, Feb 21, Syed Muhammad Javed, a newly appointed commissioner for Malakand, the region that includes the Swat Valley, said: “Today, we are announcing a permanent cease-fire. The Taliban have also endorsed the cease-fire.”
Minutes later Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Swat Taliban contradicted him, saying that ceasefire depended on the sincerity of the government in implementing the Nizam-i-Adl (Sharia) regulation. ‘A Taliban shoora would review the situation next week’, Fazlullah told his illegal FM Radio network.
The Militants appear to have asked for a general amnesty. Local media reports say the government agreed to the demand to allow them to assimilate into the mainstream.
