August 26, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 23, 1429

PESHAWAR, Aug 25: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has said that PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari’s statement about political agreements is a matter of grave concern for coalition partners.

“The JUI-F can rightfully ask Asif Ali Zardari to clarify the statement because as partners in the coalition government we have also signed agreements with the PPP,” he told reporters during a visit on Monday to a relief camp set up for people displaced from Bajaur Agency.

He said the statement that political agreements were not words of the Quran which couldn’t be changed was extremely shocking.

“A meeting of the central executive committee of the JUI-F will be held on August 28 in Islamabad to discuss matters relating to the presidential election,” he said.

The Maulana said his party would stay neutral if the PPP moved a resolution about Mr Zardari’s candidature for the presidential election.

“The JUI-F joined the ruling coalition to get the military operation in tribal areas and in settled areas of the NWFP stopped.

“Our party believes that political means are more useful than military means to resolve disputes. International powers must also realise that peace could be restored only through dialogue and not by using force,” he said.

He said his party tried to raise in parliament the issue of peace in the NWFP but the issue of judges’ restoration was raised which caused in the current situation.

“In this situation of distrust, it will be difficult to go along with Asif Zardari,” he said.

He called upon the government to immediately end the military operation in Bajaur and announce a relief package for the people affected by the operation.