PESHAWAR, April 27: Veteran politician and central leader of Awami National Party Mohammad Afzal Khan Lala has opposed holding negotiations with Taliban, saying the exercise has already been practiced several times but bore no fruits.

Terrorists deserved no sympathy and needed to be dealt strictly, he said while addressing Guest Hour programme of Peshawar Press Club here on Wednesday.

“These human rightist activists, who are talking about extrajudicial killings in Swat, should recall the agonies of people who have seen slit throats of their near and dear ones in streets and their women lashed by Taliban in the district,” he said.

Khan Lala said that he opposed government's agreement with militants in Swat as he knew well about the future of the deal. Within few months militants went back on their promises and again challenged the state's writ, he added.

He said that the idea to establish Islamic university at Swat was also wrong as it was not a demand of people of the area. “I had asked the governor to establish a university, but not the Islamic university otherwise government would have to rename all the universities as Islamic universities in different districts,” he said.

The nationalist leader also urged Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to devise a joint strategy for restoration of sustainable peace in the region.

He said that none of the country could save itself from the menace of terrorism unless they all extended support to each other and avoid playing the 'losing game'.

Expressing concern over increasing incidents of terrorism in the region, he urged the three neighbouring countries to stop leg-pulling and join hands against the menace of terrorism.

“If European nations can unite, why India, Pakistan and Afghanistan can't form a greater alliance at least to fight a common enemy,” he asked. He said that those three countries could easily come closer on the basis of common culture, civilisation and customs.

Khan Lala said that entire Pakistan was facing the menace of militancy but Pakhtuns were the worst affected citizens of the country. Pakhtuns could not take a unified stand for solution to their problems as they were divided into four different areas, he added.

To a query, he said that Taliban had basically emerged in Kala Daka, now Torghar district, but they gradually expanded their influence to Swat to exploit the religious sentiments of people, who extended them full support and enabled them to challenge the government's writ.

He said that government should appoint at least two judges at Darul Qaza to make it functional. The people of Swat, he said, came to Peshawar in connection with their cases and if Darul Qaza was established it could alleviate their miseries. He said that security forces had restored peace in the district but it would take time to eradicate terrorists completely.

He said that about one fourth of militants had been arrested in Swat.

The residents of Swat wanted to see the arrested militants killed as they had shed blood of innocent people. “It is still a mystery for the people as to where the rest of Taliban have gone,” he said.

About situation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khan Lala said that FCR should be replaced with a law as per wishes of tribal people.

He said that government should focus on eradication of corruption and development of the areas affected by flood and militancy.