Peshawar, June 2 : Signaling that they are the virtual rulers in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, the pro-Taliban militants in Swat Valley have set up their own court in the Piochar village of Matta tehsil to resolve the local cases involving disputes over land or money.

The Taliban said that three cases were heard in the court headed by a Qazi. While two cases were about land disputes, the third one was a feud over money, the Daily Times quoted them as saying.

However, a spokesman for the local Taliban cleric Mullah Fazlullah denied the working of a Taliban court in Piochar. He said that a jirga, and not a court, to resolve disputes between local people had been established in the area by the Taliban.

The hearing of the first case, filed by complainant Lal Zada against Muhammad Rahim over a land dispute, will resume on June 5.

The hearing of the second land dispute case will resume on June 8 which was filed by Muhammad Rafiq against Shah Zar. The third case — a monetary dispute between Shah Zar and Taj Khan – will be taken up again in the Taliban court on June 26, sources said.

The pro-Taliban militants in the Swat Valley had inked a peace deal with the NWFP government around two weeks ago. (ANI)