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The West has voiced fears that the scenic valley, just 160 kilometers from Pakistan's capital, will turn into a safe haven for militants much like nearby Afghanistan during the 1996-2001 reign of the Taliban.
But Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in Washington for a three-way strategy review with the United States and Afghanistan, said the presence of Al-Qaeda in the Swat Valley was "negligible if any."
"The Taliban will not be in charge. The government of Pakistan will be in charge there. We are not compromising with the Taliban," Qureshi told PBS public television on Wednesday.
"We have pushed Al-Qaeda out ... of Swat and we are going to drive them out of the tribal belt," he said.
The Pakistani government has accepted the ceasefire with Islamic militants in the Swat Valley who waged a bloody two-year campaign that included forcibly shutting girls' schools and curbing entertainment.
Qureshi said Pakistan wanted girls' schools to reopen but stood by his stance that the sharia deal was a local agreement aimed at better administering justice.
"What people have not understood is that we have taken the wind out of the sail of extremists," Qureshi said.
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It is the duty of secular forces of US, UPA, Congress, SP, RJD, DMK, YSR, etc. to trust and believe brother Muxlim of Paxitan and India. This will strenthen their hands in their noble fight against commnunal Hin doo forces, in which all UPA is united under great Saint Xtian Soniya Ghandey and her dynasty. Brother Muxlim are also supporting her, like Antoolay and now Azarudding. If Xtian US will trust their Muxlim brother of Paxitan and India, their will be seclulularism in all parts of the subcontinent like now there is in SWAT.
Uureshi,how long you and your Govt.will servive in Pakistan??? Don't talk big things.Stick to Basics to make a road map to eradicate terrorrists and the political termoil your country is in at present.
Pak has never tried to learn from past mistakes-double speak and false strategies. There is a limit to fool the world specially USA where from they get lot of aid and weapons. It is certian that majority of Pakistanis do not want Shariat Law but to appease small section of fundamentalists Government never shows strong will. Unless Pak establishes clear democratic institutions and strengthens impartial judiciary, they will be gradually slipping into rule of Jehadism.
Pakistan FM is a joke. If Pak is serious, they should have ISI come out with a statement like this.