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Islamabad hopeful over peace pact

Nirupama Subramanian

2 killed in suicide blast in North Waziristan

ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber struck a security checkpoint in North Waziristan killing two persons on Tuesday, two days after pro-Taliban tribal militants in the region called off a September 2006 peace accord with the Pakistan government.

Officials said the Government was in talks with North Waziristan “tribal elders” to salvage the accord that militants terminated on Sunday accusing the security forces of redeployment of troops at checkpoints dismantled under the truce deal.

The bomber is reported to have parked his car near the checkpoint, walked up to it and detonated himself, killing two security personnel and injuring two.

On Monday, Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said the Government was in talks with the tribal elders of North Waziristan. “As far as government of Pakistan is concerned, the deal has not been scuttled. The Government remains committed to the agreement. Negotiations with the tribal elders are continuing.”

The News quoted NWFP governor Lt. Gen. (retd) Ali Mohammed Jan Aurakzai saying he was “hopeful” of saving the accord. He told the newspaper that a “peace committee”, which was in touch with him, had gone to Nort h Waziristan to convince the militants not to scrap the accord.

Lt. Gen Aurakzai has been a strong advocate of the peace deal, and has the support of President Pervez Musharraf in the view that such deals is the best way to resolve the issue of militancy in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Pakistan has held firm to this view despite criticism from the U.S. that the peace deals in North and South Waziristan were not working, because the militants were not keeping their side of the bargain. But Pakistan says that all-out military operations that it tried for two years did not work either, led to heavy casualties for the military, and exacerbated the problem by alienating people.

The spokeswoman said Pakistan believed in a “comprehensive strategy” to address militancy in the tribal areas. “It includes political and economic approach and where necessary, military action. This has been Government of Pakistan’s strategy and it remains the same.”

But the Government also seems to be readying for military operations in the entire north-west region if necessary. Gen. Musharraf, who said last week that he was determined to root out extremism and militancy from “every corner” of Pakistan, has ordered more troops for the North West Frontier Province and tribal areas following the surge in militant attacks in the region.

Dawn reported that a meeting chaired by Gen. Musharraf even considered the possibility of a unilateral strike by NATO in Pakistani territory if the situation continued unchecked.

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