GHALANAI, Jan 8: Veteran politician and former chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad has asked Pakistani Taliban and the government to stop fighting and come to the negotiation table.

“Peace talks between the government and Taliban are in the larger interest of the country,” he told a public meeting in Mian Mandai area of Mohmand Agency on Sunday. A large number of tribesmen attended the meeting.

At his first public meeting in the region after extension of Political Parties Act to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Mr Ahmad said if Afghan Taliban and Americans could negotiate then Taliban in Fata should also hold peace talks with the government.

Under the Political Parties Act, political parties are allowed to carry out activities in Fata.

The JI former chief said that government should implement the decisions of All Parties Conference and joint resolution of the parliament.

He said that government should end military operations against Taliban in Fata to level ground for meaningful dialogue.

Mr Ahmad said that talks between Americans and Afghan Taliban would remain useless without involvement of Pakistan.

He said that America and its allies were desperate for safe passage from Afghanistan.

He said that tribesmen had been rendering great sacrifices since creation of Pakistan, but successive governments had ignored their contribution.

He said that the army was being pressurised by the America to conduct operations against tribesmen.

Addressing the meeting, former MNA from Bajaur Agency Sahibzada Haroon Rashid claimed that JI was the most popular political force in Fata.

He said that JI would field candidates on all seats of the National Assembly from Fata in the next general elections.

A resolution adopted by the meeting called upon the government to abolish all discriminatory laws against tribal people including Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and give funda-mental rights to the people of the area besides setting up an elected council for Fata.

The meeting also demanded establishment of a cadet college in Mohmand Agency and construction of Munda Dam.