PESHAWAR, Oct 20: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), NWFP, on Wednesday softened its stand on the National Security Council and indicated that Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani might attend NSC's forthcoming meeting in Islamabad.

Provincial JUI-F's executive council in a meeting here sharply reacted to a statement of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad who ruled out Durrani's participation in the meeting.

The six-party religious alliance had boycotted the first NSC meeting held in Islamabad in June 2004. The executive council pointed out that the statement of the MMA deputy parliamentary leader was premature regarding participation of the NWFP chief minister in the meeting.

Leader of the opposition Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Chief Minister Akram Durrani had not attended the NSC meeting in line with the decision of the MMA leadership.

But the latest somersault by the JUI-F executive committee meeting indicated that now the party is having second thoughts about the NSC, which could also spark its differences with the Jamaat-i-Islami.

The party executive council said Maulana Fazlur Rehman, by virtue of being the leader of the opposition, and Mr Durrani, being the chief minister, were members of the NSC.

"But the office of the leader of the opposition is purely political in nature, while the chief minister holds administrative responsibility," the council clarified, adding that it was necessary for Mr Durrani to participate in such a high-level meeting that discussed security and law and order issues.

"One could have differed with National Security Council's formation before its inception, but now that it exists and no one can deny its existence and role," said the executive committee.

It said Pakistan was a federation and non-representation of any one of its unit would not only undermine its representation, but also unnecessarily create confrontation among the federation and the federating units. It also said institutions like the National Security Council provided useful platform for a political party to air its views.

It appealed to the MMA central leadership to convene a supreme council meeting to discuss the issue and take a unanimous decision.

The body, without naming Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, urged MMA leaders to refrain from what it called irresponsible statements on the issue.