Taliban opens offices in the troubled North Waziristan region

Islamabad, Sep 28 (UNI) The local Taliban have, for the first time, set up their office in Miramshah, for ''curbing crimes and anti-social activities'' in the area, a local media report said today.

Miramshah is the administrative center of the troubled North Waziristan tribal region.

Announcements were made and pamphlets distributed in the town yesterday, asking residents to cooperate with the Taliban in keeping peace in the agency, The Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistani authorities had signed a deal with the local Taliban early this month to restore peace in the North Waziristan region, where more than 200 suspected foreign militants were killed in a series of anti-terror operations carried out by security forces since early last year.

President Pervez Musharraf, who is currently visiting the United States, however, repeatedly said in an apparent bid to war off international pressure, that it was a deal with local tribal elders and not the Taliban, as implied in the media.

The office, with a telephone facility, has been set up on the premises of the main bus stand in Miramshah. The Taliban Shura has appointed a committee to run the office.

''There is complete lawlessness in the area and crimes have increased. So, after the peace accord, Taliban have set up an office to serve the residents of the area and restore peace,'' read one pamphlet, apparently referring to the agreement signed between the government and the Taliban on September 5.

The Taliban have imposed a ban on the movement of 'masked men' in the agency and asked people to inform them if anybody was found moving about in the area with his face covered.

The pamphlet said that if an incident of robbery, dacoity or any other criminal act took place in the area, people should immediately contact the Taliban by phone or lodge a complaint at their office.

Meanwhile, military authorities returned Kalashnikovs, books and other material belonging to a seminary owned by Afghan jihadi commander Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani yesterday. Some tribal elders received these items.

Officials said security forces had raided the seminary a few months ago and seized arms and equipment.

Under the peace accord, the government and militants would return weapons and other equipment snatched during army actions.

In another development, political authorities set free three more people from Miramshah jail yesterday. Yousaf, Noor Hassan and Labir Khan were arrested a few days ago near the Pakistan-Afghan border in Kurram Agency.

Officials said the three belonged to the North Waziristan Agency and were released on bail.

The suspects were handed over to ex-senator Mateen Shah, Maulvi Noor Habib Shah and Maulvi Gul Ramazan.

Earlier, ten suspects were released on bail.

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