In retaliation: JUI-F hits back at JI, hints at efforts to sabotage peace talks

Fazl says his party does not have to seek permission from JI to further negotiations.

PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said on Wednesday the declaration passed in the all-parties conference (APC) did not mention that the Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) permission will be needed to proceed with the peace process.

On Monday, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) provincial chief Professor Muhammad Ibrahim said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s meetings with the US ambassador and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor was in violation of the APC’s declaration. He said the JUI-F is bound to follow the agreement, otherwise the peace process could be adversely affected.



But a press release issued by the JUI-F on Wednesday said Rehman’s meeting with the American ambassador was not a scheduled one. JI Chief Munawar Hassan also ‘had the honour of meeting the American ambassador,’ it read.

Expressing concerns over the JI’s attitude towards the APC, JUI-F’s provincial spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan indirectly questioned the party’s intentions, alleging that this was an attempt to distract the nation and sabotage peace talks.

In the February declaration all parties had called for immediate talks with the Taliban.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2013.