| NWFP Governor Ali Mohammed Jan Orakzai on Tuesday defended a peace pact with militants in North Waziristan, saying the signatories had no links with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Orakzai said the pact had brought peace. He conceded that between 150-200 foreign militants were still in the region, but said that was a quarter of the number in 2004. His comments followed an International Crisis Group report that the pact had created a virtual Taliban mini-state. “I would say everybody has won because of this agreement,” said Orakzai in an interview with Pakistan Television that was aired on Tuesday. He said the agreement was concluded with tribesmen and Islamic students who had no links with the Taliban in Afghanistan. “Their leader is not Mulla Omar,” he said, and denied that militants had set up courts in the area. |