MINGORA, Feb 27 Provincial Awami National Party president Afrasiab Khattak and Law Minister Arshid Abdullah said on Friday that all cases registered after Feb 16 in Swat would be decided in accordance with Sharia.

They said this after a meeting with Tehrik Nifaz-i-Sharia-i-Muhammadi chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad where they discussed different issues including restoration of peace in Swat and promulgation of the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation.

Mr Afrasiab and Mr Abdullah said they had agreed in principle that cases filed after Feb 16 would be heard under the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation.

“The provincial government sticks to the peace deal in Swat and will not withdraw from its stance at any cost,” Mr Khattak told a press conference here.

He said the final draft of the Nizam-i-Adl regulation would be sent to the governor in the next few days, which would be subsequently sent to the president for his approval.

He said the Supreme Court and the high court would also operate in Malakand apart from functioning of Darul Qaza, which would be an appellate court.

The two leaders announced that an international standard Islamic university would be established at the Imam Dheri centre of Maulana Fazlullah. They said the security forces would vacate the centre, adding they had requested Sufi Mohammad to shift to Imam Dheri so as to materialise the university plan.

Mr Afrasiab said that in accordance with the joint declaration they had signed with the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Sharia-i-Muhammadi they would enforce the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation in the Malakand region and Kohistan.

He said restoration of peace was their prime objective and thanked Maulana Sufi for his efforts in this regard.

He maintained that in the next couple of days NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti would visit Swat and start payment of compensation to people affected by the conflict.

He said all the checkposts in the area would be abolished. He said that at present some checkposts were operating but security forces deployed there would not hinder the movement of people.

Mr Afrasiab said the destroyed schools would be rebuilt and the government had allocated Rs1 billion for the purpose.

Answering a question about the status of the TNSM, he said the government had accepted its importance and, therefore, it was no longer considered a proscribed organisation.

CLERIC KILLED A prayer leader was killed by some people in the Barikot area on Thursday night. Qari Ashfaq was shot dead outside his residence.