June 30, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1429

KOHAT, June 29: A Taliban commander has said that if policy of aggression continues in tribal areas their central shura reserves the right to order expansion of activities to other provinces of the country as well.

Tariq, a commander of local Taliban, said that they had suspended peace negotiations because movement of armoured personnel carriers and security forces had been again noticed in Darra Adamkhel which could lead to scrapping of talks altogether. He said that according to the ceasefire agreement security forces were to be pulled out from Darra Adamkhel which had not been done.

He said that although peace talks had been suspended yet the ceasefire was still intact and the Taliban's surety of safety of life of the people on the Indus Highway was also valid. He accused the government of intentionally closing the tunnel causing problems to the passengers to defame Taliban. He asked the government to open the tunnel.

Talking by telephone to this correspondent from an undisclosed location on Sunday Tariq said that they would not continue talks at gunpoint and if the government was sincere in restoring peace through talks it should pull out security forces from the area. He said that they had presented a 12-point charter of demands to the government and were waiting for the reply.