Talks with Taliban: Fazl reiterates demand for jirga

JUI-F chief hails the Taliban for dissociating themselves from recent bombings in Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD:

Anxious to play his role in brokering peace talks between the government and Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has once again demanded quick formation of a jirga.

Jamiat-e-Ullema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief welcomed the statement from Taliban dissociating themselves from recent bombings in Peshawar. Why was Fazl insisting on his proposed mechanism of Jirga as the only means for talks, including why was he is anxious on initiating negotiations at the earliest?

“A strong lobby is actively advocating military operation in Waziristan, undermining the national consensus on peace talks,” said the JUI-F chief in a statement on Tuesday.

Taliban have sent a clear message by denying involvement in recent terrorist activities and that they were serious in pursuing the peace talks with the government, said the religio-political party’s chief.



He demanded that the government should give the go-ahead for his Jirga without any further delay, in order to dispel the environment of confusion and to silence the spoilers once and for all.

However, defence and anti-terrorism experts believe Fazl and his fellow former teacher of Taliban, Maulana Samiul Haq of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) no longer exercises the same old influence over the Taliban.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the chief militant group that the government intends to talk with, also indicated in a statement that they would prefer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to mediate the talks.

Fazl, however, suggested that the political and military leadership should not take dictation from these powerful lobbies while taking important decisions.

He added that the entire political leadership, including the military and religious factors agreed on peace talks in the All Parties Conference (APC). However, the spoiler lobby was wrongfully giving it the colour of sympathy for the Taliban.

In another statement the JUI-F chief also demanded the government to review its decision to raise the prices of petroleum and electricity.


Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2013.