Peshawar: (KW Service) NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Monday asked militants to give positive response to the dialogue offer by the provincial government, adding that those not willing to surrender their arms would not be included in the peace efforts.

“We can not forgive those playing with the future of the Pakhtun nation on behest of the foreign elements, but violence and using force is not a solution to the problems,” the Chief Minister said while addressing separate public gatherings in district Buner and Mardan during his visits to the areas on Monday.

By. Rahimullah Yousafzai- Dec.19

By Sartaj Khan

The uprising in Swat has to be seen as part of the wider conflict that has engulfed the region and Pakistan since 9/11. The "war on terror" has only aggravated the social situation in Swat and given birth to a movement which has its roots in history. The Swati Taliban are not organised on a localised agenda, not on a tribal basis.

Farhat Taj

In his article, "Behind the Crisis in Swat" (The News, Nov 27), Sartaj Khan argues that the current religious militancy raging in Swat is a class war. He writes: 'the militants are targeting the khans regardless of their political affiliations and have given their fight a class dimension.

په لندن کې د خان شهيد اودل سمد خان ۳۵م تلين د يو پرتميني غونډي په ترڅ کې ونمانځل شو

د پښتونخوا ملي عوامي ګوند برتانيي له خوا د ستر لارښود ملي اتل او لوئي مبارز خان شهيد اودل سمد خان اڅکزۍ ۳۵م تلين ونمانځل شو. چې د لر او بر افغان وطن په سلګونو سياسي، فرهنګي او کلتوري پوهانو او کارکونکو پکې ګډون وکړ. د غونډي مشري د پښتونخوا ملي عوامي ګوند برتانيي سکتر شير اعظم خان وکړه. فائق خان يوسفزي د کوربه دنده تر سره کړه.او د غونډي په نوم يې دسويډن څخه د کانديداي اکادميسين اعظم سيستاني ، علامه محمود طرزي علمي او کلتوري ټولنې، د پښتو ادبي تړون چمن جنوبي پښتونخوا ، د مالمو ښار سويډن څخه د حکمت الله حکمت او په سويډن کي د افغانانو د علمي او فرهنګي مرکز د مشرتابه جرګې له خوا د حبيب الله غمخوربريښنا ليکي پيغامونه واورول.

By Shaheen Buneri
PESHAWAR: Conservationists and lovers of Gandahara art have expressed their deep concern over the indifferent attitude of the federal government to provide protection to Swat Museum and delay dallying at the federal level in the shifting of archeological objects from Swat Museum to a safer place.
In wake of the deteriorating law and order situation in Swat valley of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) it is feared that Taliban may attack the museum and destroy the centuries old archeological relics of the region. One portion of the Museum has already been damaged in the suicide bomb attack on a security check post close to the museum in 2007.

Farhat Taj

In his article on Nov 19, Dr A Q Khan wrote that "mercenaries of Gen Musharraf" killed children in the Lal Masjid operation. They were soldiers of the Pakistani army, not mercenaries. They were ordered by their commanders to relieve the mosque and the adjacent children's literary from the illegal occupation of the militant Ghazi brothers and they obeyed the order under the standard of the army. Some of them even scarified their lives. To term them mercenaries is offensive.