PESHAWAR, Dec 15: The provincial cabinet on Monday reaffirmed its offer of peace talks with militants fighting with security forces in Swat provided they first laid down arms and respected the authority of the state.

Briefing journalists about the cabinet meeting at the Media Centre here, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the provincial coalition government believed in talks, because it was the best way to decide disputes. “We had signed an agreement with the militants, but they backed out of their words and resorted to violence against peaceful political workers and general masses in the valley,” he said. The minister said restoration of peace was their main objective, but the militants would have to lay down arms first.

According to him, leaders and workers of the Awami National Party had been the main target of the militants since the eruption of violence in Swat. The militants, he said, had mowed down scores of ANP affiliates and bombed out their houses and markets, but they had failed to break their will and courage.

He said: “We can die in the course of violence, but we will not abandon our just political struggle against the evil forces and their masters.”

He appealed to political and religious forces to extend a helping hand to the coalition government struggling against the menace of violence and lawlessness. He said it was a game of life and death, but some political parties were exploiting it for their petty gains.

He said the political parties should take it (insurgency) as a national issue and play their role in rooting it out; otherwise it would eat out the very foundation of the entire society.

He said the federal government had given transit facility to US and Nato forces to transport their containers through the Frontier province and tribal areas of the country. He said it was the duty of the government to provide security and protection to US and Nato consignments. He said the government was investigating the attacks on Nato containers in Peshawar. “The culprits, whosoever they may be, will be brought to justice,” he said.

He said the cabinet had set up a committee comprising senior ministers, environment minister and all MPAs from the Hazara region to devise a policy for disposal of timber stocks piled up in Kohistan. He said the federal government had banned cutting of trees in forest, but people had a huge stock of logs in upper Hazara, which needed to be disposed of in a transparent manner. He said the committee would decide about it.

He said the cabinet had approved formation of a provincial commission on the status of women. But, he added, it was subject to approval of finance and law departments.

He said the cabinet had allowed the Bank of Khyber to restart its services in conventional banking, which had been suspended by the previous government after its conversion into Islamic banking.

The minister said the Islamic system would continue as usual, but the bank would restart its conventional services to save its licence.

He said the cabinet would abide by a decision of the Supreme Court in connection with recruitments through the provincial Public Service Commission. In its verdict, he said, the Supreme Court had abolished the recruitments from waiting lists and ordered recruitment from fresh candidates. He said the cabinet had approved increase of one per cent (from 15 to 16 per cent) sales tax on eight items in the services sector.

The minister said the cabinet had also devised a formula for move-over to next grade. According to the formula, he said, the finance department would promote grade 1 to 15 employees to next grade, the chief secretary would order promotion of grade 16 and 17 employees and the chief minister would order promotion of employees of grade 18 and above.

About enforcement of Islamic laws in Malakand, he said the government was ready to enforce it on the 27th of Ramazan, but Maulana Sufi Mohammad had proposed some changes to it. “We are waiting for the final amended draft of the regulation,” he said.