Peshawar: Islamist militants in North Waziristan tribal area set yesterday a four-day deadline to the government to abide by the peace accord signed on September 5, 2006 or face a new round of guerilla attacks in the region.
The warning came from Abdullah Farhad, a spokesman for the militants, who identify themselves as mujahideen or Pakistani Taliban. Speaking by phone from an undisclosed location in North Waziristan, he said the Pakistani Army must withdraw its troops from roadside checkpoints recently deployed there in violation of the peace agreement by July 15.
In case of the military fails to comply, he said the militants would be justified in ending last year's peace accord and starting guerilla war in North Waziristan.
Farhad has been the link between the militants and the media during last year's military operations in North Waziristan and later when the peace accord was concluded.
Apparently, he doesn't use his real name while interacting with the media as the spokesman for the militants. According to Farhad, the deployment of troops during the last few days at the Esha and other checkpoints on the Miramshah-Dattakhel, Miramshah-Razmak and Bannu-Miramshah roads was a clear violation of the terms of the peace pact.
"The government had violated other terms of the accord earlier and by sending soldiers to man the checkposts it has opted violation of the last major point in the pact. It is obvious that the military no longer wants to abide by the peace accord," he alleged.
