Pak Taliban scraps peace deal inked last month

Peshawar, June 30 : Accusing the NWFP government of violating the peace deal which it had signed on May 21 with the pro-Taliban Pakistan militants in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has reportedly announced that the peace talks had come to an end and that the accords in the tribal and settled areas of NWFP were scrapped.

A TTP meeting was held Friday in the presence of its chief Baitullah Mahsud, where it was decided to scrap the peace deals in Swat, Darra Adamkhel and Mohmand Agency and freeze the Waziristan peace talks after the government action against the Taliban in Swat, Nowshera, Tank and Waziristan, said TTP spokesman Maulvi Omar.

He said the government had promised that it would not take action anywhere against the Taliban after the deals, but it did not honour its pledge.

After coming to power in NWFP, the ANP-PPP coalition government had signed a peace accord with the Swat Taliban, but talks on its implementation were stalled twice. Both sides "revived" the ceasefire and agreed to adhere to the deal in talks held on Thursday in Peshawar.

However, Baitullah Mahsud accused the government of backtracking on its word and announced suspension of talks on Saturday. The meeting on the following day recommended scrapping of all peace accords after alleged government violation.

The spokesman said the organisation would not launch attacks against the government and would only avenge government actions. However, he said the Taliban would resume their attacks if the government did not stop the military operation.

He also said that they would shift the battle to other provinces by carrying out attacks.

Situation in the volatile Swat valley has been deteriorating after June 23, and the militants claimed responsibility for an attack on security forces patrolling in Ronyal town of Matta Tehsil. "We had planted the bomb at the roadside before the peace deal. It went off now killing the security forces," Muslim Khan said, and added that they had not resumed militant activities in the district but were waiting for the directives from the central leadership of the TTP.

"We will consider every attack against a religious outfit an attack on the TTP, whether the group has an affiliation with the TTP or not," Muslim added.

ANI