April 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 06, 1428

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PESHAWAR, April 23: Speakers at a seminar on Monday blamed the military ruler and some religious groups for sectarian clashes and terrorist activities in the North West Frontier Province and vowed to wage a campaign against the menace.

The seminar on ‘Lawlessness and Terrorism’ was organised by the Pukhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party here at the Peshawar Press Club to draw the attention of the top military leaders, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao towards the creation of ‘a parallel administration’ by local Taliban in various parts of the country.

PMAP’s provincial president Mukhtar Khan Yousufzai, People’s Party Parliamentarians’ provincial chief Rahimdad Khan, Awami National Party’s provincial general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Aurat Foundation’s resident director Rukhshinda Naz, Fata Lawyers Forum’s chief Karim Mehsud and Shahabuddin of the Pashto Aalmi Congress asked the government to restore the rule of law.

Through a unanimous resolution, they urged the government to: ban FM radio stations broadcasting hate material and promoting religious extremism; allow civil rights organisations to set up their own FM channels to promote sanity in the society; release a list of all missing persons and allow them to meet their families, and; place a ban on sectarian and jihadi organisations spoiling the country’s political scene.

Terming the rise of fanaticism frightening, they blamed the government for harassing the political forces challenging dictatorship. They alleged that the rulers were trying to create a bogey of extremism to force back political forces fighting for rule of law and restoration of the Constitution in its original form.

Mukhtar Yousufzai accused secret agencies of giving a free hand to terrorist-cum-sectarian organisations involved in criminal activities. He said the self-styled champions of morality were trying to create an atmosphere of fear and were dictating the so-called ‘enlightened’ government on national political issues.

He said no improvement was possible while illegal and covert methods were employed by the authorities to get their way. He remarked: “If rulers can kill Akbar Bugti and kick out Uzbeks from Fata, why do they appear to be so weak when dealing with people occupying the children’s library in Islamabad?”