Taliban calls 10-day truce after freeing hostage

THE Taliban announced a 10-day ceasefire in Pakistan’s Swat Valley yesterday after freeing a Chinese hostage during peace talks with the government, while an abducted American threatened with imminent death by his kidnappers remained missing.

Past peace deals with militants, including in Swat, have failed. Any agreement could spark renewed US criticism that peace talks merely give militants time to regroup and rearm.

Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan called the release of Chinese engineer Long Xiaowei a goodwill gesture as government officials and Taliban sympathisers said they had come to terms on introducing elements of an Islamic judicial system in Swat and surrounding areas.