KOHAT, March 25 In a major breakthrough, security forces reciprocated the Taliban ceasefire announcement and lifted siege laid around Tor Chappar area of Darra Adamkhel on Wednesday, sources told Dawn.

The military authorities assured tribal elders that Bosti Khel and Sunni Khel areas would also be opened for the tribal people and general traffic on Friday.

But there was still strict ban on pillion riding throughout Darra Adamkhel and movement of the people at night with shoot-at-sight orders to the security forces since August 2008.

The decision had been made in the backdrop of the unilateral ceasefire announced on the appeal of 100 tribal elders by the Taliban as a peace initiative because people had been suffering collateral damage and could not return to their homes due to the ongoing fighting.

The Taliban had announced a ceasefire from March 15 to March 30.

Now the jirga will again meet the Taliban and ask them to extend the ceasefire deadline of March 30 so that peace negotiations could be started with the government for bringing 'permanent' peace to the war-ravaged area of Darra Adamkhel.

The extension in the deadline had been sought as the political administration could not reply to the goodwill gesture of ceasefire of the Taliban and wanted more time to finalise modalities of the agreement.

Noor Zaman, an elder of the local jirga, said that the peace agreement with the Taliban in Darra Adamkhel was possible because “they did not commit crimes and display brutality as was done in Swat, Mohmand and Waziristan agencies”.

“In my opinion, there shall be no issue of ego and talks should be held with commander Tariq and other Taliban and they be treated like Maulvi Fazalullah and Faqir Mohammad. The tribesmen of the area want peace and the Taliban have also realised that war is no answer to the problem which will just worsen the situation,” Mr Zaman said.

The tribal leader said “The unilateral ceasefire announced by the Taliban and opening of Tor Chappar by the security forces are big achievements which have raised hopes for a permanent peace deal.”

Sources said that the security forces believed that the Taliban had established new sanctuaries in Tor Chappar, Bosti Khel and Sunni Khel areas and had sealed them after suicide blast at a camp on August 29, 2008. The militants had reportedly fled to Orakzai Agency leaving behind handful of their companions for carrying out attacks.