January 26, 2002	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1422

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MINGORA, Jan 25: The Loya Jirga, Malakand Division, has reiterated its opposition to the government’s plan to impose new taxes unless the people’s demands regarding enforcement of the Islamic system and establishment of circuit benches of the high court and Federal Shariat Court were met.

Addressing the Jirga, which was presided over by Khurshid Alam Khan here on Friday, the speakers criticized those who led the innocent people into Afghanistan for Jihad, saying that the government was also responsible in this regard otherwise the people would not have been allowed to cross the border.

They demanded of the government to restore the former constitutional status of the division and enforce Shariat as promised in the past.

The speakers said the establishment of the circuit bench of the Peshawar High Court and that of the Federal Shariat Court in the area was a long-standing demand of the people. They said successive governments had assured the people in this regard but no action had been taken so far.

They also asked the government to use its diplomatic influence and get released the Pakistanis detained in the Afghan jails.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Dr Khalid Mehmood Khalid, Abdul Qahar, Shujah Khan, Maulana Ghulam Mohammad (Buner), Ahmad Shah Khan, Subedar Bahri Alam (Shangla), Akber Khan, Bakht Buland Khan of Malakand Agency, Iqbal Khan, Muzaffar Ali Khan beside others.