On April 9, Sufi Muhammad, chief of Tehreek Nifaz-e Shariat-e Muhammadi (TNSM) left his peace camp in the district of Swat, saying that if anything unpleasant happened in the area, President Asif Zardari would be responsible for it. However, Sufi was careful in stressing that the “peace deal with the provincial government is intact.”

On April 12, Zardari sent the document to parliament for its review and to suggest a course of action. The same day, a beleaguered ANP government in the NWFP threatened to walk out of the coalition at the Centre if the president did not sign the regulation.

Where does Swat go from here?

Before attempting to answer this question, it is important to clarify two issues about Swat which, because of poor information, have become conflated and caused much confusion: the peace deal and the Nizam-e Adl Regulation 2009.

Deliberations on what is now termed the Nazim-e Adl (Shariat) Regulation 2009, still in draft form since it has not been signed by Zardari and for that reason does not enjoy the legal status of a presidential order under the constitution, had begun as far back as 2007, in fact before the army operation in the valley had started.

To think that that document is the peace deal is therefore incorrect.

When the recent round of troubles began in Swat and the army was deployed to the area after the police, the Frontier Constabulary and even the Frontier Corps elements were found inadequate before Fazlullah’s men, the operations resulted in much civilian internal displacement and casualties.

... contd.