PESHAWAR, Oct 30: Calling for an end to US bombing on Afghanistan, the PPP (Sherpao) on Tuesday urged the Taliban to show flexibility and resolve all contentious issues through dialogue.

“The Afghan problem can neither be resolved through bombing nor through terrorist activity. It will have to be solved through a political process and through dialogue,” the PPP (Sherpao) leader, Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, told a news conference here at his residence. “Bombing has not achieved anything,” he said.

Aftab Sherpao’s elder son also appealed to the Taliban to show flexibility in their attitude as rigidity had only increased the sufferings of the Afghan people. He said the Afghans had suffered immensely in the past two decades and it was time that the Taliban leadership resolved all contentious issues through dialogue.

He said that the PPP (Sherpao) fully supported the government’s stand on the war against terrorism and believed that steps taken in that direction were in line with national interests and national security. He called upon all democratic and progressive forces to join hands and back the government in this hour of need.

He said the Afghans had seen enough sufferings and their problems could only be resolved through convening of a Loya Jirga. He said the UN could play a positive role and help create a conducive atmosphere for the purpose.

He said the former king Zahir Shah was an impartial person and could provide a leadership people could rally around. He said all ethnic groups should have fair representation in the proposed broad-based government in Afghanistan with the Pakhtoons being the majority should have due share in the next dispensation. “Northern Alliance is not the answer to the present situation. Imposing them on the Afghans would be another catastrophe. The Afghans should be allowed to form their government.”

Referring to a statement by British Secretary for Foreign Affairs Jack Straw, Sikandar Sherpao said any new setup in Afghanistan should be followed by a rehabilitation and reconstruction package on the line of the so-called Marshal plan for Germany.

He said that the West needed to learn from its past mistakes and should not walk away after helping the Afghans setup a broad-based government in their country.

He said by the same yardstick, the west should also announce a similar rehabilitation and reconstruction package for the NWFP and Balochistan, which, he added, had been badly affected due to the presence of millions of Afghan refugees for more than two decades.

The PPP (Sherpao) leader also appealed to the Ulema not to turn the war on terrorism into a war between Muslims and infidels. “This will lead to a much bigger disaster,” he warned.

He urged the religious and political parties to exercise restraint while staging demonstrations. Damaging public property would only hurt Pakistan, he said.