Afghanistan warns against deal

KABUL: Afghanistan on Tuesday warned that the peace deal with Swat Taliban for imposing Islamic law might have “dire consequences” for the region and could harm Pak-Afghan ties. The criticism came after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation to put Malakand under sharia law. The move is part of efforts to end the insurgency, despite fears that it could encourage extremism. “We do not interfere in Pakistan’s internal affairs,” President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman said. However, there were concerns that “dealing with terrorists and handing over parts of one country to terrorists could have dire consequences in the long term”, he said.