The peace agreement between the government and the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi has brought an enthusiastic response from the people of Swat. There were jubilations and peace marches in different parts of the valley. Indeed, the whole country has heaved a sigh of relief. The rising death toll of innocent Swatis, known for their exemplary gentleness and humility, their mass exodus from the valley to safer areas, the widespread disruption of life and rank misery were a source of great anguish for all Pakistanis and should be so to all those who have a sense of humanity. The return to normal life, already partly in evidence, like the resumption of female education that suffered most at the hands of militants should be unequivocally greeted with satisfaction. Somehow, the US whose policies of force laced with unfulfilled promises of socio-economic development have been responsible for causing outrage in the country is not happy at the deal and is of the view that the accord would provide a welcome break to militants to refurbish their strength and strike again. The immediate feeling of President Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, found expression in his words "troubled and confused", though later the US adopted a 'wait-and-see' attitude, withholding its reaction till the outcome of the peace deal becomes clear. To be honest, apprehensions about whether the agreement will hold do exist in the minds of Pakistanis as well, but that should not preclude attempts at giving the prospects of peace a chance. The argument, usually advanced by the US and NATO allies, that the previous attempts at getting rid of militancy through peace overtures had backfired and, in fact, resulted in strengthening the hands of terrorists would not most likely be relevant in the case of Swat since here the TNSM's agenda is quite different from the Taliban's. Maulana Sufi Muhammad, its leader, has been agitating for the re-enforcement of Nizam-i-Adl (Sharia courts) in Malakand Division and Kohistan since early 1990s, much before 9/11 took place and Al-Qaeda came into the limelight or the Americans began perceiving the Taliban as a threat to their security. Maulana Fazlullah, head of Tehrik-i-Taliban of Swat, differed with his father-in-law Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who was following a peaceful course to have the demands accepted, and believed that they had to be backed with force. That was probably because Maulana Fazlullah must have felt frustrated at the government's refusal to accede to them. For those who are not aware of the background of Sufi Muhammad's demands, it is necessary to say that the government replaced, in 1969, the legal system (Sharia courts) practised in the princely state with the one functioning in the rest of the country. The introduction of a dilatory and enervating code of law created problems for the people who were used to a smoother and quicker means of getting justice. It brought them at par with other Pakistanis in, ironically, suffering the agony of an endless legal process. It was hardly the 'reform' they would have welcomed. Had the judicial system prevalent in the country been earlier reformed to eliminate unnecessary snags in the smooth and easy dispensation of justice and then introduced in Swat, it would not have met with resistance and would have been welcomed elsewhere in the country as well. Unfortunately, the people of Pakistan have continued to hear the promise of rendering 'justice at the doorstep' from one government after the other, but without witnessing any serious effort towards that end. In the West, the very word Sharia has come to evoke the thought of some sort of dark forces at work since the terrorist acts are routinely attributed to Muslims and this point is regularly played up in the media, while the Israelis' brutalities and war crimes find only a passing mention. Their severity is piped down with the remark that the main culprits are Gazan Palestinians who have caused provocation with their rockets. In the eyes of some ill informed Western sections, the roots of militancy lie not in the historical injustice that colonised and underdeveloped nations have suffered and continue to suffer but in the teachings of Islam that, in reality, characterises the murder of one innocent person as the murder of the entire humanity. It should, perhaps, help put their apprehensions at rest to know that the government-TSNM agreement merely envisages the return of the system that had been in vogue in Swat before 1969 and it never produced violent citizens, rather exceptionally peaceful people who openly welcomed foreign tourists in their midst. Maulana Sufi Muhammad is making efforts to convince Maulana Fazlullah of the importance of the deal and calling upon both sides to accept certain conditions that should guarantee durable peace, like the release of all prisoners and dismantling of checkposts. The Taliban have been asked to lay down their arms and stop patrolling the streets and interfering in the government's administrative affairs. On its part, the army should vacate, schools, hospitals and mosques to let normality take root in the valley. NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti has been asked to personally launch development projects. Already, there are hopeful signs, with the people returning to their homes, starting their daily activities and education, including girls' education, coming to life. Let us keep our fingers crossed and hope that all parties demonstrate sincerity in putting the accord into effect in letter and in spirit. E-mail: mqkay@yahoo.co.uk