March 28, 2006	Tuesday	Safar 27, 1427

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LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), March 27: MNA from Khyber Agency Allama Noorul Haq Qadri has strongly condemned what he called killing of innocent tribesmen in Waziristan in the name of combating terrorism and called for immediate halt to the army operation in the area.

Addressing a gathering of Tanzim Ahle-Sunnah wal-Jamaat in Landi Kotal on Sunday, the Allama insisted that pitting the army against innocent tribesmen was a conspiracy aimed at destabilising the federation.

He called upon the authorities to focus on negotiations instead of using force.

Noorul Haq Qadri said revival of the tribal jirga system will help resolve all thorny issues in tribal areas.

He called for the replacement of Frontier Crimes Regulation with Islamic laws in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas.

Later talking to journalists, Allama Qadri refuted the impression that he was in contention for a ministerial post in the federal cabinet. Brushing aside rumours about his inclusion in the federal cabinet, he said that he had refused such offers even before the recently-held Senate elections.

News reports from Islamabad suggested that Allama Noorul Haq Qadri and Senator Hamidullah Jan Afridi, both belonging to the Khyber Agency, were in the run for the ministerial slot after the resignation of Malik Ajmal Khan from the federal cabinet.

Malik Ajmal lost his Senate seat when half of the upper house members had to vacate their seats after a draw was conducted after completion of their three-year term.

Allama Qadri said that he had instead asked for more development funds for the tribal areas rather than a ministry. With the next general elections scheduled in 2007, Noorul Haq Qadri laughed off the offer and said that he was least interested in becoming a minister for only a year.

On the other hand, Senator Hamidullah Jan was quite upbeat about finding a berth in the federal cabinet.

On being approached about his comments, he confirmed that he had conveyed his approval to the quarters concerned in Islamabad and he was optimistic about becoming a minister.

Mr Afridi, however, insisted that this time he would insist for providing him the “relevant” ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) instead of low-profile ministries like sports and culture or tourism. Such ministries were of no help to the tribal people, he added.

Mindful of his three-year tenure as senator, Hamidullah Jan said that he was “eager” to serve the underdeveloped tribal areas while holding the reins in the powerful Safron ministry.

Mr Afridi, from the Bara sub-division of Khyber Agency, said: “The modalities have almost been worked out and it is just a matter of time regarding his inclusion in the cabinet.”