Ceasefire on Pak's western front?

The Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Jang reports that all key militant groups in Pakistan's tribal districts have offered a ceasefire in support of the Pakistani government should it decide to deploy its troops on the Indian border in view of the increasing tension after the Mumbai attacks.

There are indications that Pakistan may accept the ceasefire offer and stop military operations against the Taliban.

The report added: "As a positive sign that this ceasefire offer may be accepted, the Pakistan Army has, as a first step, declared before the media some notorious militant commanders, including Baitullah Mehsud and Maulvi Fazlullah, as 'patriotic' Pakistanis."

Baitullah Mehsud and Maulvi Fazlullah are the key leaders of the Taliban movement in Pakistan. Baitullah Mehsud has also been accused of plotting the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The report added: "These two militant commanders... have invariably been accused of terrorism against Pakistan but the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage has suddenly turned terrorists into patriots."

Roznama Jang quoted a senior Pakistani security official as saying: "We have no big issues with the militants in Fata [tribal districts]. We have only some misunderstandings with Baitullah Mehsud and Fazlullah. These misunderstandings could be removed through dialogue." [3]

To view this post on the MEMRI Urdu-Pashtu Blog:
http://www.thememriblog.org/urdupashtu/blog_personal/en/11745.htm

From MEMRI

PS: Amartya Sen, digest that! Some common enemy!