D S's Profile

"The truces between Pakistan's military and the separatists," the UN says, "have coincided with rising violence and increased attacks in four Afghan provinces along the Pakistan border."

The deal is likely to embolden the Taliban to launch even more lethal attacks in Afghanistan. It is pertinent to note that the Taliban on both sides of the Durand Line, which separates Pakistan from Afghanistan, pledge their allegiance to Mullah Omar. As the Taliban do not recognize the Durand Line as an "international border," they assert their identity as Taliban, not as Afghan Taliban or Pakistani Taliban.

Contrary to Musharraf's assurances, however, Afghanistan has seen a three-fold increase in "Taliban activity" since September 5, according to NATO.

Many Pakistanis of different persuasions—members of civil society, activists for democracy, liberals, leftists, nationalists and seculars—are not persuaded of the deal's intended objective, which is "peace." Rather, they see it as an instrument for converting North Waziristan into "a safe haven for al-Qaeda and the Taliban,"

It binds the government to cease ground and air assaults against the Taliban and resolve all future disputes according to the Rivaaj (tribal customs). It further obligates the government to redeploy its troops from North Waziristan to their designated camps and forts, and dismantle all 12 checkpoints that were set up to hunt al-Qaeda and Taliban militants (Dawn, September 6).

The deal offers amnesty to Taliban militants and "foreigners" (a reference to Afghan-Arabs who are members of al-Qaeda) in North Waziristan for a pledge that they would desist from mounting cross-border attacks into Afghanistan; assaulting Pakistani security forces, public servants, state property, tribal leaders and journalists; and carrying heavy weapons (Dawn, September 6).