20 jailed militants freed in Pak’s Swat valley
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 2:03 am
Pakistani authorities on Friday (March 20) freed 20 jailed militants as a “goodwill gesture” to carry forward the peace process in the Taliban-dominated Swat valley.
The militants were released as per the provisions of a eace agreement signed last month by the NWFP government and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi (TNSM), a group of religious hardliners led by Sufi uhammad, the father-in-law of Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah.
The 20 militants freed by security forces were handed over to a peace committee, a day after the Taliban demanded that the authorities release 210 prisoners.
More than 30 Taliban prisoners have been freed since the pact was inked.
The release of the militants followed long deliberations between the local administration, security forces, members of the TNSM and the peace committee. The TNSM and the peace committee assured the government that the freed militants would not resort to any violence.
Western powers, including the US and UK, have expressed concern over the peace deal in Swat, with some saying it could help the militants to regroup.
( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)
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