PESHAWAR: ANP urges Taliban participation in jirga
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Aug 7: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan has expressed the hope that the forthcoming Pakistan-Afghan Peace Jirga to be held in Kabul on Thursday would yield positive results.
Talking to newsmen after a meeting of ANP’s senior members at Bacha Khan Markaz here on Tuesday, Mr Asfandyar said the jirga would help bring stability to the region if the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan made sincere efforts to implement its recommendations.
He termed the jirga a good omen for peace and said the ANP had always advocated for peace and holding of jirgas for settling disputes between two parties or countries.
He said the ANP had a principled stand over Afghan issue and prevailing crises in tribal areas of Pakistan.
“The issues will be discussed at the jirga without any fear or prejudice,” he said in a reply to a question.
He refused to disclose ANP’s strategy during the three-day jirga.
Mr Asfandyar said that all stakeholders in Afghanistan’s affairs, including Taliban, should be invited to attend the jirga. The ANP would not favour stands of Pakistan or Afghanistan in the jirga, he said, adding that the only concern of the party would be to discuss the sufferings of Pukhtun people, living both sides of Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He said: “Our main concern is how to avoid Pukhtuns’ killings and to restore peace in our region.”
About non-participation of tribal elders from South and North Waziristan agencies and some religious parties’ leaders from Pakistan, he said it would be better for them to explain their point of view in the jirga instead of keeping themselves away from the dialogue process.
He said holding of jirgas between Pakistan and Afghanistan should be continued both at the government and people levels.
A six-member ANP delegation under the leadership of Mr Asfandyar will participate in the jirga. Other delegates are Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Muhammad Afzal Khan, MNA Shahabuddin Khan, Dr Inayatullah and Jilani Khan.
The meeting was attended by Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Afzal Khan Lala, Afrasiab Khattak, Zahid Khan, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Muhammad Adeel, Syed Aqil Shah, Imran Afridi and Malik Darya Khan.
APP adds: Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party president Afzal Khamosh has asked Maulana Fazlur Rehman to attend jirga in order to play his role in restoration of peace in the region.
He said that staying away from the jirga would not resolve the looming threat confronting Pukhtuns and maintained that Maulana’s participation could be effective in resolving Pukhtuns’ problems.
