07 July 2004	Wednesday	18 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, July 6: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Tuesday agreed to revise its policy on Wana by consenting to the proposed registration of foreigners living in tribal areas.

Secretary interior and secretary Fata gave a four-hour briefing to MMA leaders and government teams. The briefing was attended also by Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Both sides unanimously condemned all forms and manifestations of terrorism.

The MMA was invited to the briefing by the prime minister. From the MMA's side, the briefing was attended by its acting president, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, secretary-general and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman, NWFP chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Liaquat Baloch and tribal MNA Maulana Abdul Malik.

The prime minister was assisted by PML's secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed, NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Iftikhar Hussain, acting chairman of senate Khalilur Rahman, federal ministers Shaukat Aziz, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Ijazul Haq, Aftab Sherpao, Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal and Senator Ajmal Khan. Former president Sardar Farooq Leghari and MQM's parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar also attended the briefing.

Chaudhry Shujaat described the MMA's participation in consultations on security issues as highly commendable and encouraging and expressed the hope that it would continue in the future as well.

The government partially agreed to the six-party alliance's call for lifting the economic blockade of the South Waziristan Agency and assured that the relaxation period would be extended.

The MMA disagreed with the imposition of a ban on the use of loudspeakers in Sindh, and demanded that the use of loudspeakers be allowed for Friday sermons, and agreed to punish anyone violating the code of conduct or being involved in spreading sectarian disharmony.

Later, MMA's deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told journalists: "The government attentively listened to our proposals for improving the law and order situation and both sides agreed that foreigners living in tribal areas will be persuaded to register themselves and that the relaxation in economic blockade would further be extended."

He said that some tribal elders had recently helped the process of normalisation by handing over some wanted elements. Mr Mushahid Hussain termed the briefing 'very positive' and result-oriented, especially in connection with removal of some misunderstandings.

MMA's leadership, he said, had assured its cooperation. He said the points on which both sides had agreed included an agreement on foreigners' registration in tribal areas and elimination of all forms of terrorism.

He said it was decided that a delegation of parliamentarians and elders would meet the NWFP governor to resolve the issue of economic sanctions on Wana.