March 19, 2006	Sunday	Safar 18, 1427

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PESHAWAR, March 18: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam has expressed concern over escalating tension along the country’s western border and alleged that the government has created artificial crises in the region. Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, JUI-F provincial general secretary Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan said that government on the one hand was taking steps to improve relations with India and on the other was creating artificial crises along the western border with Afghanistan.

The government, he said, was creating rift between Pukhtuns of both sides of the Durand Line. “This is a big conspiracy against Pukhtuns. Big powers want to establish ‘Grand Pukhtunistan’ in the region,” Senator Gul Naseeb said.

He said that the party’s executive council in a meeting had demanded that the government should end the military operation in the North Waziristan Agency and avoid use of force in Balochistan.

“The government created artificial crises in Waziristan and imposed war on the tribesmen,” he said, adding that tribal elders should be taken into confidence and given a chance to bring normalcy to the area.

He said that the JUI would organise late Mufti Mehmood conference in Dera Ismail Khan on March 26 in which people from all over the province would take part.

The JUI leader said that the executive council also discussed the ongoing party membership campaign in the NWFP province.

He said that after the membership campaign elections at the union council and district level would be held within the party.