Taliban threaten Pakistan provincial capital

Guardian:

Pakistan's Taliban militants have threatened to attack the provincial government in the troubled north-west unless it halts operations, escalating the country's security crisis.

Baitullah Mehsud, the warlord who leads the Taliban in Pakistan, gave the administration of the North-West Frontier Province five days to cease sporadic operations against Taliban groups and demonstrate its "sincerity" in peace negotiations. The showdown undermines Pakistan's policy of seeking peace deals with militants and comes as the Taliban in Afghanistan have stepped up a campaign against Nato and Afghan forces.

The North-West Frontier Province government, following elections in February, is led by the secular Awami National party, which has tried to promote peace talks with militant groups. However, in two parts of the province, Swat Valley and Hangu district, which is on the edge of the tribal belt, it has been forced to call on the army and paramilitary forces to combat insurgent groups that are allied to Mehsud's Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

"We will attack the provincial government and the ANP leaders after five days if they do not quit," said Maulvi Omar, spokesman for Mehsud, based in the tribal area of Waziristan. "The provincial government is ... not sincere in the talks."

The ANP, which has pacifist roots, has pursued dialogue with Taliban groups in Swat and elsewhere. However, its talk of peace has come up against the hard reality of militants who are willing to give up very little and demand Islamisation and the retreat of the Pakistan army from their territory as the price for ending hostilities.

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Pacifism will not work with a thug like Mehsud. Pakistan has already wasted months on dealing this guy to no good effect. It should take the terrorist leader at his word and treat him accordingly. Pakistan's army has the capacity to destroy Mehsuds band of Taliban if it only had the will.