Swat valley peace talks break down
Peace-broker accuses government of dragging its feet over adoption of the Sharia.
Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s president, has said he will sign an order introducing
sharia in the region only once peace has been fully restored.
Government blamed
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said: “Sufi Muhammad, who was the key factor in brokering a peace deal in the Swat valley … has blamed the central government directly for dragging their feet on the accord.
“All this is happening at a time when the Swat Taliban has moved into an adjoining district and are saying that they cannot be stopped from going into other areas.
“That is going to be a very serious development and, if that peace accord does break down, it will have serious repercussions for the adjoining districts as well.”
Also on Thursday, Mullah Nezaar, a Pakistani Taliban leader, released an audio message on the internet, claiming that his group is just days away from marching on the capital.
“Pakistan Taliban factions have united … The day is not far when Islamabad will be in the hands of the mujahidin.”
He also accused the Pakistan army of using spies to help the US carry out unmanned drone attacks on rural areas of Pakistan.