Pakistan is 'abdicating to the Taliban,' says Clinton

Pakistan is submitting to the Taliban by allowing the imposition of Islamic law in the embattled Swat valley, said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday.

President Asif Ali Zardari signed a deal into law last week that allows Taliban militants who control the Swat in the northwest to impose Islamic law in exchange for a ceasefire. The Taliban seized control of the Swat valley, once an alpine resort, in a violent uprising in 2007 that pushed tens of thousands of residents from the area. Violence has continued in the area until the Pakistani government agreed in February tosign the deal.

Several residents of the area have voiced their support for the deal, saying it heralds an end to the violence that has scarred the area.

But western governments have argued the deal paves the way for the establishment of a de facto base for Taliban militants, a stance reiterated by Clinton on Wednesday.

At an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, Clinton emphasized the "seriousness of the existential threat posed to the state of Pakistan by continuing advances, now within hours of Islamabad, that are being made by a loosely confederated group of terrorists and others who are seeking the overthrow of the Pakistani state, a nuclear-armed state.

"I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists," said Clinton, speaking to lawmakers about the Swat valley deal.

The agreement covers Swat and other districts in the Malakand Division, an area of about 16,000 square kilometres near the Afghan border and the tribal areas where al-Qaeda and the Taliban are believed to have strongholds.

The provincial government agreed to impose Islamic law in Malakand, and the Taliban agreed to a ceasefire that has largely held.

Taliban extending grip

In recent days, Taliban militants have extended their grip outside the Swat valley, local government officials say. Swat militants have set their sights on Buner, a district just south of the valley, sparking at least one major clash with residents.

Many in Buner are now too frightened to speak to reporters. However, a lawmaker from the area told The Associated Press that the militants had entered the district in "large numbers" and started setting up checkpoints at main roads and strategic positions.

"Local elders and clerics are negotiating with them to resolve this issue through talks," Istiqbal Khan said.

The militants in Buner have broadcast Islamic sermons over radio airwaves and have seized the homes of prominent landowners in the area, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.

Thosemilitants have also warned barbers to stop shaving men's beards and stores to stop selling music and movies, he said.

The provincial government's chief executive said authorities were prepared to use force if the Taliban didn't "pack up and go home" from Buner. But Haider Khan Hoti also pleaded for patience and rejected Western calls for a more aggressive approach.

He criticized missile strikes by unmanned U.S. drones on Pakistani soil, saying they were undermining peace efforts.