Members of an All Parties' Conference (APC) called by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Thursday urged a 'grand jirga' of tribal elders to kick start dialogue with Taliban under the guidance of the political and religious leadership in a bid to root out terrorism from the country.
The APC, attended by leaders of almost all political and religious parties as well as tribal elders, adopted a unanimous joint declaration, resolving to support any step for initiating talks with the Taliban aimed at implementing the Constitution and rule of law in the country. The five-point declaration, issued at the conclusion of the conference, offered full support to efforts of the 17-member 'grand jirga' for restoring peace in Pakistan, especially in Fata [Federally Aadministered Tribal Areas] and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
For this purpose, it proposed the following steps: The already constituted 'grand jirga' should further be expended by giving representation to parties of all schools of thought; a trust should be set-up for the welfare of heirs of the martyred and the injured; the 'grand jirga' should initiate talks with the "stakeholders" under guidance of the leadership of all political and religious parties that participated in today's APC; practical steps should be taken for eradicating terrorism from Pakistan and we support any initiative of talks which is aimed at implementation of the constitution and the rule of law. The declaration says; all political and religious parties as well as tribal elders present in the meeting, announce that the incumbent government, the caretaker setup and the next government after the general elections as well as the opposition, would be bound to implement the agreed upon proposals (for the restoration of peace).
The APC was attended, amon others, by PML-N president Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, JI's Amir Syed Munawar Hassan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali khan, PPP's Makhdoom Amin Faheem, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, PkMAP chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, MQM's Farooq Sattar, ANP's senior vice-president Haji Adeel and tribal elders. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not attend the APC. Later, Maulana Fazlur Rahman told media persons that the APC agreed on using the platform of the grand tribal 'jirga' for peace negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban.
The Maulana said that all political and religious parties had assured of their full support to steps taken for the restoring peace. Terming the conference a success‚ he said that tribal elders will meet in Peshawar on Friday (today) to discuss the agreed upon proposals and to include the input of the conference in their agenda. He said that the jirga will also meet with Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shaukatullah Khan.
Maulana said that the APC was aimed at extending support to efforts of the 'grand jirga'. Earlier, Nawaz Sharif urged the government to take the offer of dialogue by Pakistani Taliban seriously and give a positive response. He said that peace could be restored through talks and not by use of force. He also urged political parties to play their due role in meeting challenges faced by the country. He said that today not only Pakistan, but the entire region was plagued by terrorism.
The PML-N chief regretted that two years had passed but the report of the Abbottabad Commission had not been made public. PPP's Makhdoom Amin Faheem said that his party would support every step taken for peace in accordance with the Constitution. Addressing the conference, JI Amir also endorsed the call for initiating talks with Taliban. PkMAP chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai criticised the country's secret agencies, saying that if these agencies wanted, peace could be restored within a month.
"I am sure...the bloodbath can come to an end, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan can be improved only if ISI, MI and other spy agencies want the same and also announce recognition of an 'independent and sovereign Afghanistan' by stopping their interference in that country's internal affairs," he maintained.
He also offered his services to bring together all the warring groups both in Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia for holding peace talks. Tribal elders spoke about the current situation in tribal areas and devastation caused by terrorism. They also urged the government to take immediate steps for holding peace talks with Taliban, besides ensuring cessation of US drone attacks. The APC was second such meeting convened inside of a month. A similar conference was called by ANP in February.
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