Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
February 15, 2009

Pakistani Taliban May Declare 10-Day Cease-fire
-----------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=224E9E8:A6F02AD83191E160473820A8B6E23EAC21A4E82C900CD027&
 
Taliban spokesman announces truce, shortly after his group freed a
Chinese engineer held captive 
The Taliban in Pakistan has declared a 10-day cease-fire in the
northwestern Swat Valley out of respect for government talks. A Taliban
spokesman, Muslim Khan, announced the truce Sunday, shortly after his
group freed a Chinese engineer held captive for six months in Swat.
Chinese state media Xinhua say the engineer, Long Xiaowei, arrived
safely at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad early Sunday. Khan said the
engineer was released as a "goodwill gesture" for the government talks.
Local Pakistani officials and Taliban sympathizer Sufi Muhammad have
been discussing the possibility of enforcing Islamic law in parts of
Pakistan's northwest. Muhammad, a militant leader who fought in
Afghanistan, was freed last year under another peace deal with tribal
elders in northwestern Pakistan. His son-in-law, pro-Taliban cleric
Maulana Fazlullah, is waging a violent campaign for Sharia law in the
region. The government struck a peace deal with Fazlullah last year, but
the militants have continued their attacks. They are now largely in
control of Swat Valley, which once was a major tourist haven. Some
information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


.