September 01, 2008	Monday	Sha'aban 29, 1429

PESHAWAR, Aug 31: An all parties’ conference on Sunday asked the government to stop military operation in the troubled parts of the NWFP and its adjacent tribal area and take steps for lasting peace in the region.

The conference, organised by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), termed presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan a major threat to the security of countries in the region and called for withdrawal of Nato forces from the neighbouring country.

Announcing a joint declaration of the conference at a press briefing, JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the government to revamp its foreign policy and formulate new external policy after threadbare discussion in the Parliament.

Representatives of the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), JUI-Sami and leaders of various religious groups attended the conference.

“Participants of the conference consider presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan direct threat to the interest of Asian countries, therefore, the foreign troops should leave the war-ravaged country as soon as possible,” said the JUI chief. He said that countries in South and Central Asia should form a separate block to protect their interests. Stability in the region could not be restored unless foreign forces leave Afghanistan, he added.

Fazlur Rehman said that the government should stop use of force in the violence-hit areas of the Frontier and Fata, and adopt peaceful means to end prevailing trouble in the area. The government, according to the joint declaration should take appropriate measures to enable internally displaced people to go back to their areas. Apart from this, affected families from Bajaur should be compensated.