JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman addressing the all parties conference.
Delegates at an all parties conference (APC), hosted by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), on Thursday declared their trust in a more expansive grand tribal jirga and tasked its members with immediately engaging all ‘concerned parties,’ including the Taliban, for the sake of peace in the country.
The APC, which was attended by as many as 30 political and religious groupings, concluded on Thursday with a five-point declaration. However, the declaration lacked both a timeframe and clearcut terms of references (ToRs) to engage the concerned parties for the peace process. The APC also did not specify the parties (forces) with whom the talks would be held.
Some leaders were of the opinion that the APC was a useless exercise as the sitting regime is about to complete its term and there is no one to implement the recommendations.
Nevertheless, a joint declaration was signed by leaders of all participating parties. The declaration recommended that the already established grand tribal jirga, under the leadership of the APC leaders, be further expanded by including leaders from all schools of thought. Secondly, it recommended a trust to be established for the welfare of the injured persons and families of those killed in various incidents of ‘lawlessness’ (the APC avoided using the word terrorism). The APC also asked the grand jirga to start negotiations with concerned parties under the leadership of the participating parties of the APC. It also called for taking practical measures to end lawlessness and support every effort for the implementation of rule of law in the country.
The last point in the declaration stated that the incumbent and interim governments as well as the next government and opposition would be responsible for implementing the recommendations of the APC.
Headed by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the conference was attended by elders from tribal areas led by Haji Qadir Khan, political and religious leaders including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, PML-Quaid president Chauhdry Shujaat Hussain, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Achakzai and Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan chief Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, MQM leader Farooq Sattar, PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Information Minister Qamar Zaman and Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheeed Ahmed.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was one of the few political parties not to attend the conference. It had also skipped an earlier APC organised by the Awami National Party on February 14.
Talking to reporters following the APC, Fazl said that the first meeting of the grand jirga would be held in Peshawar on Friday (today) to consider including the recommendations of the APC in its agenda. He added that elders of the jirga would meet the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor Friday evening to seek his support.
“We have national support and consensus for the existing grand tribal jirga, which has already engaged in the peace talks in tribal areas. This was the prime objective of the today’s APC,” Fazl said.
The jirga, according to Fazl, will initiate implementation on the recommendations of the APC and its first meeting will be held in Peshawar followed by another important meeting with the K-P governor the same evening. When he was asked about the parties in the talks process, he said, everyone who has a stake in peace, including the Taliban.
Addressing the conference
Earlier, while addressing the APC, former prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif urged all political parties to play their due role in tackling challenges being faced by the country and added that the government should send a positive response to the Taliban.
He called upon all political and religious parties to shun their differences and play a role towards guaranteeing peace in the country. He endorsed calls for talks with the Taliban, saying the government should take an initiative in this regard. He lamented that though many resolutions were passed in the past even by parliament they were never implemented.
Similarly, Chaudhry Shujaat also emphasised that talks should be held to bring about peace in the country.
MQM leader Farooq Sattar said that there should be a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the security issue in the country, including development, deterrence and dialogue. PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that they have always supported dialogue with those who believe in the rule of law and respect the constitution.
In his address, JI Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan said a positive response from the government regarding the Taliban’s offer for peace talks had not come forward.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2013.
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@Chodhary: Yes. He got labeled "Taliban Khan" but it was not triggered by him mentioning talks. Not even a little. He got the label due to a number of statements in regard to his opinion of the Taliban and what they do to people. It happened when he said the Taliban are his brothers. Not the mentioning of talking to them. He already had the label before that. His mentioning talks was no more than support for the opinion of him rightfully having that label.
PTI supporters should stop twisting things in desperate attempts to bail out every blunder of Imran Khan's. It just points out that people are right enough to the point that not even the people who are supposed to be his biggest fans can defend him. They can only manage to redeem him by creating a similar and more convenient scenario to address while hoping nobody notices.
Everyone labelled him "Taliban Khan" when IK spoke of making peace with the Taliban and ending the ongoing so called war against terrorism.....