MIRAMSHAH, Oct 22: The Taliban on Sunday imposed their brand of penalties for various acts which they deemed to be offences and levied ‘taxes’ on businesses.

The Taliban, who recently opened their offices in Miramshah after signing a peace deal with the government, also proclaimed a vast area around the Miramshah town to be their ‘area of operations’ and ‘banned’ all sorts of criminal activities around the North Waziristan Agency headquarters.

The Taliban Shura, headed by Maulvi Abdul Wahid, distributed pamphlets spelling out their policies. The pamphlets were also pasted on walls around the town.

All Taliban factions operating in the North Waziristan Agency are represented in the Shura.

The Taliban proclaimed that maintenance of law and order and punishing crimes in the area between Miramshah-Ghulam Khan road and Deerdani checkpoint-I, Miramshah and the Tablighee Markaz and Miramshah and Mirali road would be their responsibility.

The Taliban would devise punishments for different crimes and would award death for death according to the Shariat. Likewise, people committing other crimes in the area would also been punished according to Islamic jurisprudence.

For robberies and thefts, the Shura prescribed fine amounting to Rs500,000 and two-month prison term for the offenders.

Acoording to the ‘tax schedule’ issued by the Taliban, every 10-wheeler truck entering the agency would have to pay Rs1,500 for allowing them six-month road access, while six-wheeler trucks would pay Rs1,000 twice a year.

Petrol pump owners, the pamphlet said, would have to pay Rs5,000 to the Shura after every six months.

The ‘tax’ was titled ‘donation’ in the pamphlet appearing in the agency headquarters and would be at the sole disposal of the Taliban Shura. There was no mention how and where the money would be used.