Taliban-government peace deal brokered in Hangu

GHALLANAI: A tribal jirga has successfully brokered a peace deal between the local Taliban and the administration in Hangu that would come into effect immediately after signing the agreement. A fifteen-member jirga of clerics headed by Mufti Syed Janaan from Taliban side held talks with District Coordinator Officer, Umar Afridi and District Nazim of Hangu, Khan Afzal on part of the government in the ARC office Kohat. It was decided in the jirga that Taliban would carry no arms publicly and would release the army and Frontier Constabulary personnel and other officials that had been detained by local Taliban. Taliban have demanded the release of Maulana Rafiullah along with other five militants in return. The spokesman of Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Molvi Umar has claimed some fifty hostages to be in their captivity while DCO, Shahab Shah, has confirmed sixteen government servants in the imprisonment of Taliban.