Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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February 21, 2009

Pakistan: Taliban Agrees to Permanent Cease-Fire in Swat
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2270C01:A6F02AD83191E160319B78490D23BFF630EB2FA2E66CBB22&
 
Commissioner of Malakand region, which includes Swat valley, announced
agreement Saturday 
SWAT Valley Government officials in Pakistan say they have reached a
permanent
cease-fire agreement with Taliban militants in the northwestern valley
of Swat. Syed Muhammed Javed, the commissioner of the Malakand region,
which includes Swat, announced the agreement on Saturday. The
head of a hardline group of Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Fazlullah, is
expected to make a radio announcement about the deal in the coming
hours. Fazlullah's father-in-law, Sufi Muhammad, who leads a
separate Islamist group in Swat, reached an agreement last week with
local officials to impose Islamic law (Sharia) in the region if his
militants lay down their arms. Taliban officials say Muhammad met with
Fazlullah earlier this week to negotiate peace. Militants
from various factions operate in northwestern Pakistan. Some use the
territory to launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, targeting local
and international forces. The United States and NATO have both
expressed concern that the deal reached with militants last week could
provide a safe haven for extremists in the already volatile region.
Meanwhile,
officials say a roadside bomb exploded near a fuel tanker on a
Pakistani supply line in the Khyber district used by NATO forces in
Afghanistan. One person was killed, and two others wounded in the
blast.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


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