Taliban in ‘gross violation’ of peace

PAKISTAN’s military yesterday accused the Taliban of “gross violation” of a peace accord covering a large segment of its northwest after several acts of violence over the weekend.

The allegations came as the north-west province’s government said it was fulfilling its end of the deal by establishing an Islamic appellate court for the area, though a cleric mediating the pact rejected the panel.

The developments underscored the ambivalence in Pakistan’s government over how best to tackle militancy in its regions bordering Afghanistan. It is a topic that will come up when Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari meets with President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a visit to Washington later this week.