Son of Swat peace negotiator killed in Pak

The son of Sufi Muhammad, a hardline cleric who negotiated the controversial peace deal between Pakistani authorities and Taliban, has been killed in shelling in the Dir district of North Western Frontier Province, where security forces are conducting operations against the militants.

Kifayatullah, the son of Sufi Muhammad, was killed while another relative was injured in the shelling at the cleric's hometown of Maidan in Dir.

Sufi Muhammad heads the banned Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi, which has been spearheading a campaign for enforcing Shariah or Islamic law in the northwestern Swat valley.

The cleric brokered a peace deal in Swat that has virtually fallen apart following fierce fighting between militants and security forces over the past few days. TNSM spokesman Izzat Khan said Kifayatullah was killed in shelling by the security forces.

There was no word from the government on the issue. The security forces have been using artillery, gunship helicopters and fighter jets in operations against the Taliban in Buner, Dir and Swat districts of the North West Frontier Province. Nearly 300 militants and over 20 security personnel have been killed in the fighting.