* Taliban kidnap top administrator, guards in Swat * Authorities to distribute weapons among people for self-defence (Recasts with government plans to distribute weapons) By Junaid Khan MINGORA, Pakistan, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Taliban militants kidnapped the top government administrator and six of his guards in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley on Sunday, the group and officials said, dealing a blow to efforts to restore peace. Authorities in North West Frontier Province announced plans to give people weapons for self-defence after a deal with a leading cleric of Swat, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, to restore Islamic laws in the hope that he would persuade the militants to give up fighting. The province's chief minister, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, said in a statement the government would distribute 30,000 rifles in rural areas to help villagers tackle terrorism. The kidnapping of Khushal Khan, district coordination officer of Swat, set back government hopes of curbing violence in the restive valley. He was travelling by car to Mingora, the main town of Swat, when he was abducted by "miscreants", Syed Mohammad Jawed, commissioner for the Malakand division which includes Swat, told Reuters. Muslim Khan, the Taliban spokesman in Swat, said the group claimed responsibility. "He is our guest. We have to discuss some issues with him. We will serve him with tea and then free him," he told Reuters. Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani instructed authorities to ensure the early and safe recovery of the administrator and his guards. "The prime minister also directed the law enforcing agencies to keep a strong vigil on the anti-state elements who wanted to impede the government's efforts for restoration of peace and tranquillity in Swat and adjoining areas," Gilani's office said in a statement. CHALLENGES The kidnapping highlight the growing security challenges faced by authorities in the northwest where militants linked to al Qaeda and the Taliban have waged a violent campaign to expand their influence. Around 1,200 people have been killed and 250,000 to 500,000 have fled the Swat valley since violence intensified in mid-2007. A journalist working for a local television channel and newspaper was abducted and killed on Wednesday as he covered a "peace march", led by cleric Maulana Sufi Mohammad two days after he struck deal with the government. Last Sunday, Islamist militants announced a 10-day ceasefire in the valley as a "goodwill gesture" towards the peace talks. Pakistan said on Saturday the government and the militants had agreed a "permanent truce", but a Taliban commander said their ceasefire would be reviewed on its expiry on Wednesday. The Taliban has denounced the journalist's killing and denied involvement. Western governments and liberal Pakistanis have been alarmed by the Swat agreement, which they say would strengthen the militants and could result in another sanctuary in Pakistan where al Qaeda and the Taliban could move freely. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is leaving for the United States on Monday to take part in a U.S. regional security policy review, said he would try to allay Washington's concerns over the Swat pact. Pakistani officials are defending the pact, which they say is the best option to stem the rising tide of militants flowing from the wild tribal Afghan border region to cities and towns. (Additional reporting by Faris Ali) (Writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Richard Meares)
A Pakistan army soldier stands guard on a street during a curfew imposed after a bomb attack in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, some 270 km (170 miles) southwest of ...
