PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Tribal elders and Pakistani authorities struck a deal Wednesday aimed at bringing peace to a militant-infested northwest region where a paramilitary offensive has tried to flush out insurgents, representatives said.
Meanwhile, about 700 army troops were sent to a separate northwest region to end a siege of a police station by militants demanding the release of fellow fighters, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army’s top spokesman.
Pakistan launched an offensive after militants began threatening Peshawar and a key road used to send supplies to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
U.S. officials have criticized such peace deals, saying they could allow pro-Taliban militants to regroup and intensify attacks on U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, Pakistan’s top diplomat rejected the idea of any foreign troops operating inside Pakistan, reinforcing its refusal to accept U.S. military aid in battling the insurgents.
