High-powered huddle: Tribal elders, politicians to come face to face
JUI-F sponsored APC to be held today to devise ways of opening talks with Taliban.
JUI-F sponsored APC to be held today to devise ways of opening talks with Taliban.
PESHAWAR:
Political leaders from across the spectrum will gather in the capital today (Thursday) to discuss the prospect of talks with the Taliban, in a bid to end violence across the country.
The All Parties Conference (APC) is being organised under the umbrella of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF). So far, most political parties have agreed to attend, although Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) has yet to confirm participation.
According to JUI-F’s provincial spokesperson Haji Abdul Jalil Jan, the party had taken care of all arrangements.
A grand tribal jirga, comprising about 60 elders, will participate in the huddle. The parties will nominate three leaders to attend the jirga proceedings.
“The agenda for this APC is to determine how to bring peace back to Pakistan,” said Jan. However, he refused to comment on whether the jirga will start discussions with the Taliban or look towards government, saying that it is premature to discuss this issue at this time.
This upcoming APC is the second high-powered political huddle aimed at developing a consensus over talks with the Taliban in less than a month.
On February 14, parties gathered in Islamabad under the aegis of the Awami National Party (ANP), which has been under constant attack from militants.
According to the JUI-F, the aim of this APC is to introduce the joint tribal jirga to the political leadership and to garner support for its organic efforts.
Last Thursday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters in Peshawar that his party has already briefed the political leadership about the role the jirga can, and should, play. He added that they were already trying to devise ways to talk to the Taliban.
The jirga was formed in December 2012, after a month of long deliberation, with assistance from the JUI-F.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2013.
Political leaders from across the spectrum will gather in the capital today (Thursday) to discuss the prospect of talks with the Taliban, in a bid to end violence across the country.
The All Parties Conference (APC) is being organised under the umbrella of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF). So far, most political parties have agreed to attend, although Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) has yet to confirm participation.
According to JUI-F’s provincial spokesperson Haji Abdul Jalil Jan, the party had taken care of all arrangements.
A grand tribal jirga, comprising about 60 elders, will participate in the huddle. The parties will nominate three leaders to attend the jirga proceedings.
“The agenda for this APC is to determine how to bring peace back to Pakistan,” said Jan. However, he refused to comment on whether the jirga will start discussions with the Taliban or look towards government, saying that it is premature to discuss this issue at this time.
This upcoming APC is the second high-powered political huddle aimed at developing a consensus over talks with the Taliban in less than a month.
On February 14, parties gathered in Islamabad under the aegis of the Awami National Party (ANP), which has been under constant attack from militants.
According to the JUI-F, the aim of this APC is to introduce the joint tribal jirga to the political leadership and to garner support for its organic efforts.
Last Thursday, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters in Peshawar that his party has already briefed the political leadership about the role the jirga can, and should, play. He added that they were already trying to devise ways to talk to the Taliban.
The jirga was formed in December 2012, after a month of long deliberation, with assistance from the JUI-F.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2013.