Thousands of people rallied in Buner valley on Sunday to call on the government and the Taliban to avoid conflict as fears grew of an imminent military offensive in the north-west region. The Taliban's creeping advance towards Islamabad - Buner is just 100 km north-west of the capital - has heightened concern in the United States about stability of its nuclear-armed Muslim ally.
"We appeal to the Taliban to stop shows of force and display of weapons, as there is no justification for it after enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl regulation," Mian Said Laiq, a politician, told the rally, referring to Sharia, or Islamic law. During the rally in Buner, cleric Misbahuddin Malikpuri warned the government against deploying security forces if the Taliban committed to keeping the peace. "If government sent troops to Buner despite the Taliban's commitment not to disturb peace, then we will be with the Taliban," he added.