PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Fata chapter, has announced to convene a big tribal jirga in Peshawar next week to develop consensus about the future of Federally Administered Tribal Areas and to counter ‘conspiracies against the unity of Pakhtuns’.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, JUI-F Fata chief Mufti Abdul Shakoor claimed that some elements in a sit-in in Islamabad had raised slogans of ‘greater Pakhtunistan’ and ‘Azad Pakhtunistan’, but his party was determined to foil such attempts.

Flanked by party’s Fata general secretary Mufti Mohammad Ejaz and others, Mufti Shakoor said that the jirga would be held in mid February after approval of the party chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and other leaders. Students and elders would also share their views on this occasion.

The proposed jirga, he said, would devise a strategy to launch an organised movement in the entire tribal agencies to block the way of those forces which were attempting to create rifts among Pakhtuns and implement their western agenda.

He said that members of the Fata Supreme Council, Grand Tribal Alliance, elders and tribal youth would participate in the Peshawar gathering.

Mufti Shakoor claimed that conspiracies were being hatched against the tribal people and the country by some forces.

He urged the federal government to take stern action against those elements which were trying to create differences among Pakhtuns by raising slogan regarding creation of ‘greater Pakhtunistan’.

The JUI-F leader called upon all the political parties to stand up against those who were attempting to disintegrate the country by raising such slogans.

Mufti Ejaz said the some people were trying to take advantage of prevailing scenario in Fata for their vested interest.

He said that ‘anti-state’ forces had established their base camps in Afghanistan to destabilise Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2018