NWFP Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussein has disclosed that the provincial government is going to constitute special committees for holding negotiations with the militant of the different parts of NWFP including Swat and Waziristan.
Addressing a press conference here at the Media Centre of the Directorate of Information, he said that federal government in the passage of the unanimous resolution from the in-camera session of the parliament has adopted the stand of ANP regarding solution to the prevailing situation in the country.
He said that the unanimous resolution of the joint sitting of the parliament that the government will never allow the usage of its land against anyone and offering of negotiations with militants provided they surrender their weapons was a big achievement of the parliament. He urged the government to take measures for the implementation of the resolution.
Regarding the role of the provincial government in restoration of peace in tribal areas, he urged the federal government to take provincial government into confidence before any measure in this regard. He was of the view that steps taken with the support of provincial government would bear positive results.
The information minister said that the provincial government has decided to convene a Jirga of all political parties including JUI-F and Jamaat-i-Islami to frame a joint and consensus based counter militancy strategy for the province.
To a question, Mian Iftikhar, who is also spokesman of the coalition government in NWFP, said that they are fully aware of the problems of price hike and unemployment in the province. He said that due to the lack of peaceful environment the business community is feeling insecurity.
He said that subsiding of the ongoing insurgency would help promote investment that is prerequisite for the generation of employment opportunities in the province. He said that situation has improved during last several days. He took exception to the statement of JUI-F leader Maulana Gul Naseeb regarding the conspiracy of the establishment of greater Pakhtoonistan and termed the allegations baseless, malicious and a pack of lies having no relations with reality.
The provincial leadership of JUI-F has alleged installation of signboards regarding greater Pakhtoonistan by ANP led nationalist government in the province. He termed the statements an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the news reports regarding illegal allotment of military land to the leadership of that particular political party.
He said that the coalition government in the province is making efforts for national reconciliation and consensus on the policy regarding problems confronting the province. He urged the leadership of JUI-F to take action against their activists, who are bent upon diluting the prevailing environment of reconciliation in the country.
He was thankful to President Asif Ali Zardari for using the name of Pakhtoonkhwa for province, saying that the President has not only used the name at the provincial level, but also in his address to the UN General Assembly. However, he declined to comment on the formation of committees for resistance of renaming of the province by some political elements.