Militant chief orders ceasefire

An Al-Qaida-linked militant commander has ordered his followers to stop attacks in Pakistan after the new government began peace talks, a government official said yesterday.

Pakistan's new government that emerged from a February general election has promised to pursue negotiations in a bid to end a tide of militant violence in which hundreds of people have been killed since the middle of last year.

But the prospect of peace pacts with militants based in lawless tribal areas along the Afghan border has raised concern as critics say deals only give militants the opportunity to re-group and intensify their attacks in Afghanistan.