Peace process in tribal region not damaged by seminary raid: Pakistani official

Authorities of Pakistani North West Frontier Province (NWFP), adjacent to the tribal Bajaur region, Wednesday said peace process in Bajaur would not be deterred by Monday's attack on a religious school, local media reported. Addressing reporters in Peshawar, NWFP's provincial capital, Governor NWFP Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai said peace process in Bajaur Agency would not be damaged with the attack on the madrasah, in which the military killed around 80 alleged militants, according to the Geo Television report.

Officials said the seminary was used as a training camp for militants and frequented by al-Qaeda and Taliban elements, and those killed were all militants, "no innocent people."

Reports said the gunship raid came amid negotiation were going on between the local administration and Bajaur's trial elders on a peace deal, similar to the one reached in North Waziristan tribal region in September, through which the government attempted to maintain peace in the region while desisting local tribals from providing shelter to foreign militants.

Defending the attack on the religious school, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday said the military aspect will go side by side wherever there is militant activity with the development and reconstruction activities in the tribal areas.

Aurakzai was optimistic the Bajaur attack would not affect peace agreement in North Waziristan, saying the government would continue peace and development process side by side with actions against the militants in tribal areas, said the Geo report.

The governor also claimed that the seminary raid was done by Pakistani forces alone, without getting support from the U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Source: Xinhua