November 10, 2006	Friday	Shawwal 17, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: The peace process initiated in North Waziristan should continue and the path of dialogue should be adopted to resolve all problems. This was stressed by speakers at a seminar on “Peace agreement in North Waziristan” organised by Liberal Forum Pakistan (LFP) on Thursday.

The speakers said another peace deal was to be signed in Bajaur, but the move was scuttled by the bombing of a religious seminary in the area.

They alleged that the attack on the madressah was carried out by the United States but the Army owned the operation instead of lodging a protest with the US.

The speakers included retired lieutenant generals Talat Masood, Assad Durrani, Hameed Gul; PPP leader Farhatullah Babar, Secretary Information PML-N Ahsan Iqbal and chairman LFP Asif Khan.

Gen Masood said the peace process would receive a setback as a result of the Bajaur incident but noted that it would be temporary. He stressed that there was no other option but to continue with the peace process. He noted that stability of the tribal belt was vital for economic development.

He said the tribal areas had been neglected for decades by successive governments. The signing of North Waziristan peace agreement was a positive development but the point remained whose values would prevail. He said there was a concern in Europe that the Taliban phenomenon would spill over to whole of Pakistan. “You need to do something concrete on the ground. That remains the challenge,” he opined.

He said problems must be resolved through institutional mechanism and not on the dictates of a particular group.

General Durrani also underlined the need to carry forward the peace process and stressed that “if there is something to be done in the tribal areas it should be through their own system.” He said the Jirga system was not something earth-shaking.

He claimed that the operation in Bajaur had been carried out by the United States, adding, “We foolishly decided to take the responsibility.” He rejected the claims that militants were receiving training in the religious school and said 82 militants could not hide under one small compound. He said Pakistan should draw a line in its relationship with the United States, otherwise there may be more attacks against Pakistan’s sovereignty.

General Hameed Gul said the U-turn in the Afghan policy after 9/11 was a blunder by Gen Pervez Musharraf. He said now Pakistan was being asked to win the war for America.

He said as a military strategist and on the basis of what is unfolding, he can safely say that the US will be defeated in Afghanistan. He said the US can either continue with her plans, or invest more in error or pull out gracefully. “But the pullout needs a giant of a man like Richard Nixon,” he remarked. He said the US had her hands on the energy tap of the world. He, however, said Afghanistan and Iraq would prove to be black holes for the super power.

He said Afghans would never compromise on their faith and freedom. “The nation has risen and it is a popular movement now. There cannot be a price tag on freedom,” he stressed.

He said there was a change in the US course after 9/11, adding that there had to be a change of course in Pakistan after the Bajaur attack.

Farhatullah Babar said the approach of signing the peace agreement was correct. He, however, said the issue was if the government intended to honour the agreement.

He said the Bajaur incident followed by the Dargai attack called for a change of direction.

He said free, fair and impartial elections should be held and all political parties and leaders should be allowed to contest the polls.

Ahsan Iqbal said the root cause of all problems in Pakistan was governance of the country. “Democracy is still the best way to bring people together,” he noted and called for restoration of true democracy and the constitution. He was of the view that the military government was a recipe for disaster.

Asif Khan said non-democratic governments bred terrorism as they were not answerable to either the people or the parliament.