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Mardan residents fear attacks by Taliban if peace overtures fail

* Say ANP uniquely qualified to deal with Taliban because of ethnic ties

By Akhtar Amin

MARDAN: Residents of the Mardan district of NWFP expressed concern on Monday about attacks from the Taliban if the Awami National Party (ANP)-led coalition government of the province failed to reach a peace agreement with the Taliban in Swat and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Residents said that the Taliban had resumed attacks on government installations, especially police stations, in Mardan, the home district of NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti.

Roz Muhammad Khan, a social worker in Mardan city, said the ANP could talk to the Taliban as ethnic Pashtun brothers. He added that because the late ANP founder Abdul Ghaffar Khan espoused a philosophy of non-violence, the party was uniquely qualified to attempt peacemaking. Palo Dheri village resident Faisal Khan said that, previously, only local Taliban used to roam the area, but Uzbek and Afghan Taliban had appeared in various areas like Jamra, Jhengra and Spinkai Ghar during the last six or seven months, adding that militants were hiding in the Smast Hills bordering Swat Valley where police were unable to deal with them.

Shamuzai Union Council Nazim Muhammad Saeed Khan told Daily Times that the April 26 car bomb blast near Mardan City Police Station was a warning to the provincial government, and a retaliatory measure against the “discriminate” behaviour of the police during talks with the Taliban and against the murder of their commander, Hafiz Saeed. He said local Taliban were mounting pressure on the coalition government to accept their demands by launching rocket attacks on police stations and elsewhere in the city. Bakhshali resident Muhammad Qadeem said Taliban and other banned organisations had started forcing local people not to listen to music, in addition to carrying out bombings on music shops and girls’ schools.

The army closed roads used by both army and private vehicles passing through the interior part of the PRC following the Dargai suicide blast that killed 42 army recruits and injured many on November 9, 2006.

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