Not ruling out discussions with Taliban: JUI-F

Party says it will include all stakeholders to solicit views about Fata’s future.

PESHAWAR:

A Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) jirga, formed to discuss the future of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), decided on Tuesday that it may include the Pakistani Taliban in negotiations if need be.

JUI-F spokesperson Haji Jalil Jan told The Express Tribune that the jirga would also consult the military and regional political authorities including all the stakeholders of the area.

When asked about whether the Taliban will be included in the discussions, the JUI-F leader, without ruling out the possibility of the inclusion of the Taliban, said that they would talk to all the actors in Fata if need be. “Tribesmen believe that peace is the first prerequisite and only after that is achieved can we talk about other reforms,” Jan said.

JUI-F Deputy Secretary and jirga leader Mufti Abdul Shakoor said that so far talks had only been held with tribesmen. “But we will talk to people who are responsible for the deteriorating situation in the tribal areas if we need to,” Shakoor said. The JUI-F said it wanted to increase public pressure on them so that they could return to using dialogue to resolve issues.

The supreme jirga will meet on November 5 at party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in DI Khan to determine the party’s future course of action.

Shakoor recently concluded a tour of seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions that went on from September 25 to October 7. He said that the jirga deciding the party’s stance in progress in Fata was working directly under Rehman.

After much hype, Hoti decides on JUI-F

In a much awaited move, former federal minister, Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, finally decided on joining the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

There was much hype about which political group Hoti would join, with the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the JUI-F all claiming that he was in negotiations with them.

Hoti parted ways with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in September after developing differences over ranks within the party.

The JUI-F’s provincial deputy general secretary, Maulana Amanat Shah, told The Express Tribune that the former minster will formally announce his decision in a press conference on October 19. On October 20, he will hold a meeting with the party leadership.

Hoti will be joining JUI-F without the party offering him a particular position. Shah said that the former minister is joining without any pre-conditions.

Unlike other political parties, JUI-F promotes members after elections and not on the directives of the leadership, Shah said. The system within the party is stringent and members have to wait at least three years to make their way to the general council. This council then elects the office bearers, he added.

Another senior JUI-F leader also confirmed Hoti’s induction, but expressed ignorance over internal negotiations between him (Hoti) and the party leadership.

Since he quit the PTI, Hoti was indecisive about which political party to join. He had said he was having talks with different groups, but refused to give any hint about which party he will be joining. However, on October 5 he had met JUI-F’s Maulana Attaur Rehman to discuss his future move.

Hoti won the National Assembly Mardan-1 (NA-9) seat in 2008 on the Awami National Party’s ticket. He was made the minister for anti-narcotics, but resigned from the federal cabinet after developing differences with the party. He joined PTI in December last year. Hoti was also associated with the PPP for a decade but parted ways in 2004.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2012.