PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities announced Wednesday that they had struck a truce with a militant faction that moved last year to impose Taliban-style rule in a once-popular tourist area.
The deal between government officials and Islamic militants in the scenic Swat valley could presage broader accords with militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The 15-point pact was signed despite explicit expressions of concern from the United States about such truces — the latest warning delivered only a day earlier by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte in Washington.
The Bush administration and NATO say they believe that Islamic militants will use respites to strengthen and rearm themselves and resume attacks when it suits them.
