May 21, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15, 1429

MINGORA, May 20: Muslim Khan, the spokesman for the Swat chapter of Tehrik-i-Taliban and a close aide of Maulvi Fazlullah, has said the third round of talks with the government, to be held on Wednesday, will be decisive.

The spokesman who is also leading the Taliban team at the talks told newsmen gathered at the Mingora Press Club on phone he was sure of a breakthrough in the talks to be held in Peshawar.

Muslim Khan said that the local Taliban and the government were sincere to hold about reaching an understanding. He said the Taliban wanted peace in Swat, other parts of the NWFP and in the tribal region.He said he and his colleagues were satisfied with the progress made so far in talks with the government team, adding that most of the issues had been resolved and only minor hitches remained to be addressed.

Answering a question, he said the tourists were welcome in the scenic valley and “they are free to come here but they should respect the Islamic value and tradition”.

He said: “Nobody would be allowed to promote obscenity and vulgarity in the region in the grab of tourism.”

The NWFP government and the Taliban had agreed in the two rounds of talks held so far — first at the Fishing Hut in Chakdra, Dir, earlier this month and the second in the Sate Guest House, Peshawar — to observe ceasefire till the third round.

The government has accepted Taliban militants’ demand for enforcement of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in the Malakand region, including Swat, within a month.

A joint committee, comprising NWFP Minister Wajid Ali Khan, MPA Dr Shamsher, the DIG of Malakand, DCO and DPO of Swat, Maulana Ameen, Ali Bakht, Muslim Khan and Mahmood Khan, had been formed to monitor the situation.

The Taliban had presented seven demands to the provincial government — enforcement of Sharia in Swat, withdrawal of troops from the area, release of prisoners taken into custody during the insurgency and payment of compensation to affected families.