A grand meeting of the political parties of Malakand Division held in Peshawar Friday expressed deep concern over the prevailing lawlessness in the area and demanded initiation of immediate steps for the enforcement of Islamic Shariah, Nizam-e- Adl Regulations.
Third of the series of the meeting was attended by Senators, members of the National Assembly, provincial assembly, district nazims and office bearers of PPP-Sherpao and ANP from the region. Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, provincial amir JUI-F NWFP chaired the meeting.
Those who attended included Federal Minister for SAFRAN, Najmuddin Khan, Senator Maulana Rahat Hussein (JUI-F), Dr Imresh Kumar MNA PML-N, Malik Azmat Khan MNA, District Nazim Malakand, Fida Mohammad Khan, District Nazim, Lower Dir, Ahmad Hassan Khan, District Naib Nazim, Shangla, Mohammad Tahir Khan, Mohammad Ali Shah MPA, Malik Badshah Saleh MPA, Mohammad Anwar Khan MPA, Malik Hayat Khan MPA, Zamin Khan MPA, Mohammad Zahir Shah MPA, Dr Mujeeb-ur-Rehman JUI-F Dir Lower, Bakht Bedar Khan PPP-Sherpao and Hussein Shah Yusufzai of the ANP.
The members of the national and provincial assemblies from the troubled Swat did not turn up to the committee due to their already scheduled meeting with the President Asif Ali Zardari. However, according to Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, convenor of the jirga, the public representatives from Swat had attended the last meeting held on November 22.
The participants of the meeting said that the enforcement of Islamic Shariah in the division is the longstanding demand of the people and called for its fulfilment to fill the constitutional vacuum in the region. They also expressed concern over the matter that the operation was basically launched for a short period, but it was prolonged for a period of one year.
The meeting called for initiation of effective measures for the restoration of law and order situation and announcement of time frame for the stoppage of the ongoing operation in the area. They also called for restraint against prolonging of the war and its extension to other districts of the region.