Pakistani troops will withdraw from the restive South Waziristan areas when local Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud frees the captured army and paramilitary personnel after the inking of a peace deal between the government and the Mehsud tribe.
The actions will be in line with a draft peace agreement drawn up by the Pakistan government. One clause of the draft pact refers to the release of 'kidnapped army and Frontier Corps soldiers' held by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan commander Baitullah Mehsud in the Federally Administered Tribal Area of South Waziristan, which is dominated by the Mehsud tribe. If this condition is fulfilled, 'the army will vacate the Mehsud areas', the Daily Times quoted the draft pact as saying.
The new government led by the Pakistan People's Party has been conducting secret negotiations with Baitullah Mehsud's group through tribal elders over the past few weeks.
Western nations, especially the US, have expressed concern over the parleys, saying the cessation of hostilities by the Taliban in Pakistani territory could allow them to focus on Afghanistan.
The draft agreement does not include any clause whereby the Mehsud tribe would stop cross-border movements by militants for carrying out attacks on the American and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan.
North West Frontier Province Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has admitted that this is a "sticking point" among all the stakeholders, including the Taliban, the government and coalition partners in the war on terror like the US and NATO countries.
"The Mehsud tribesmen say they cannot include this point in the agreement since they have no common border with Afghanistan, but our allies in the war on terror say this clause, on cross-border movements, must be included," Ghani told the Daily Times.
The 15-point draft agreement binds the Mehsud tribe to ousting Al Qaeda-linked foreign militants from their areas in one month after the peace deal with the Pakistan government is signed. It also mentions a possible two-month concession in this regard. The draft pact states that only Taliban prisoners who have not been charged in a court of law will be released.
On the other hand, Taj Muhammad, a Taliban commander in South Waziristan, has said that the militants led by Baitullah Mehsud are "still holding dozens of soldiers" captured during operations and ambushes.
Governor Ghani has said the peace deal could be finalised with the Mehsud tribe 'in weeks'. Meanwhile, 64 suspected militants were released from Timergara district jail in the NWFP on Thursday following a peace accord signed by the provincial government and the Tehrik-e-Taliban in the Swat valley.
Official sources told the Dawn newspaper that some key figures of the Taliban, including Maulvi Liaqat Ali, Maulana Khalid and Irshad Ali, were among the freed militants. They were arrested during military operations in different areas of Swat, a stronghold of Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah.
Taliban representatives welcomed the release of the militants and renewed their pledge not to be a part of any group fighting the security forces and to honour the peace accord reached with the NWFP government.
The provincial government has also complained to the Taliban about 'some elements' patrolling various areas of Swat and threatening owners of music shops and barbers.
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