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Secret details of Swat peace accord
Saturday, April 11, 2009
By Hamid Mir
ISLAMABAD: The Taliban have demanded that the secret details of the Swat peace accord be released to the public and have assured Maulana Sufi Mohammed that they will lay down their arms as soon as President Zardari signs the agreement.
As these Taliban demands became known, the 14 so far secret points of the Swat peace accord were also made available by the sources concerned, who said if the agreement failed only the Taliban would emerge as the beneficiaries since they had already secured the release of 53 detained fighters and they would also not be bound to accept the writ of the state.
President Asif Zardari now holds the key to the success of the accord and key to peace in Swat, sources say. The Taliban of Swat, they say, have again assured Maulana Sufi Muhammad that the day President Zardari signs the Nifaz-e-Adl Regulation, they will start handing over their heavy weapons to the government.
But, interestingly, the Taliban have demanded that Maulana Sufi Muhammad must reveal the whole peace agreement to the public, which was finalised between them and the provincial government. Top Army officials were also part of the peace talks, the sources claim, saying they also approved the agreement.
President Zardari recently said he will sign the deal only when there will be complete peace in Swat. This statement has irritated not only the Taliban but also Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who left Mingora on Thursday in protest. After his departure from Mingora, many people started leaving the Swat valley because the Taliban were returning to their positions.
The ANP leadership has also made it clear to President Zardari that they are committed to the agreement with Maulana Sufi Muhammad and they will leave the provincial government if he (Zardari) does not sign it within a few days.
The ANP has told President Zardari that the peace agreement will ultimately help the government, not the Taliban, because the government would be able to establish its writ in the whole of the Malakand division.
The Army high command, sources say, has also recommended quick ratification but President Zardari is under intense pressure from the US officials not to do it. The 14 points of the peace agreement are:
1 The Sharia law will be imposed in Swat, including the whole Malakand division;
2 The Army will gradually withdraw security forces from the region;
3 The government and the Taliban will exchange prisoners;
4 The Taliban will recognise the writ of the government and they will cooperate with the local police;
5 The Taliban will halt attacks on barber and music shops;
6 The Taliban will not display weapons in public;
7 The Taliban will turn in heavy weapons like rocket launchers and mortars to the government;
8 The Taliban will not operate any training camps;
9 The Taliban will denounce suicide attacks;
10 A ban would be placed on raising private militias;
11 The Taliban will cooperate with the government to vaccinate children against diseases like polio;
12 The Madrassa of Maulana Fazlullah in Imam Dherai would be turned into an Islamic University;
13 Only licensed FM radio stations would be allowed to operate in the region; 14 The Taliban will allow women to work without any fear.
Sources have told The News that President Zardari wants the Taliban to surrender even the small weapons but it was decided between Maulana Sufi Muhammad and the Taliban that they would not surrender small weapons. They argue that most of the Taliban belong to poor families and when they will return to their areas the rich and strong landlords will try to take revenge because the Taliban had forced them to leave the area.
The Taliban have, however, agreed that they would keep only licensed weapons in future.
It was also learnt that some Taliban from Swat had started selling their vehicles because they wanted to start some business but their commanders had stopped them because they were not sure about the future of the peace agreement.
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