Peace Jirga asks Al-Qaeda, NATO to quit Afghanistan
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—A Pakhtun Peace Jirga, organised Awami National Party, Monday demanded of the allied forces and Al-Qaeda elements to quit Afghanistan, besides asking the Pakistani forces and aliens to leave the tribal areas for sustainable peace and security in the region.
The jirga also urged unity among the Pakhtun to stop the tide of the ongoing bloodshed in the Pakhtun-populated areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The jirga, which was held at Bacha Khan Markaz in a unanimous resolution said, “the international security system and the regional governments have failed to establish peace and now it is our national duty to rise above the political and ideological positions and give a united response for the sake of our national survival and press all the governments to work for peace in our region.”
The representatives of opposition parties, including ANP, JUI (F), Jamaat-i-Islami, JUI (S), PPP (Sherpao) Tehreek-I- Insaf, PML-Nawaz, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and others attended. It also condemned the interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and asked the Afghans to resolve their differences through dialogue. It said that peace was not only vital for the Afghans, but was a prerequisite for stability of the region.
As the past events had proved, peace in the Afghanistan was also essential for the entire world, said resolution passed by the packed hall. It also called for the peace in tribal area and asked the foreigners to leave the area, besides demanding the extension of Political Parties Act to Fata start political activities there.
It demanded investigation into use of military force and killing of Pakhtun in the name of terrorism and also called upon the active players in Fata to leave the area forthwith.
Prominent amongst those who attended the event included, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, opposition leader in the National Assembly, Asfandyar Wali Khan, president of Awami National Party, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, president of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, Sirajul Haq, former NWFP senior minister, Rahim Dad Khan, provincial president of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, ARD secretary general, Ahmed Faraz, a noted poet, Dr Farooq, a religious scholar, Khalid Aziz, former NWFP chief secretary, Jamal Shah and Firdos Jamal, renowned artistes, Nawab Ayaz Khan Jaguzai, and Bismillah Kakar active Pakhtoon leaders in Balochistan.
Addressing on the occasion, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, opposition leader in the National Assembly, asked al-Qaeda to quit Afghanistan besides also called for the withdrawal of NATO forces from the war-turn country for the restoration of peace in the region. Fazl said history is witnessed that Pakhtoon nation was never subjugated by forces, “There should be a dialogue process to get a way out for peace and stability in the region.”
Referring to the letter he had received from the Afghan President Hamid Karzai to help restore peace in the region, Fazl informed that he had assured the Afghan president of his support but he added, “In my letter to the Afghan President, I had mentioned some reservations, that, how can I negotiate with those forces who are fighting in the mountains, as I am doing politics in Pakistan, and how Karzai would implement the deal in the presence of American forces in Afghanistan”.
He opposed the government’s support for the US in its war on terrorism. He said that the freedom of expression, economic and political activities were among the basic rights of the people.
“The Durand Line had been drawn by the British Government and now the presence of 80,000 troops in tribal area is the violation of the said agreement,” he said. He said that the super powers had coined different terminologies, such as moderate, extremist, fundamentalists, traditionalists with a view to divide the Muslim world. The need of the hour is to get united and foil such attempts, he added.