NOWSHERA: A high-level delegation from Afghanistan called on chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Samiul Haq at Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak and urged him to play his role in resolving the Afghan issue.

According to a press release issued by the seminary, the Afghan delegation comprised religious leaders, representatives of the Afghanistan government, some old students of Darul Ulloom Haqqania and the ambassador to Pakistan. The meeting lasted two-and-a-half hours during which the delegation members discussed with Maulana Sami different matters relating to Afghanistan.

They appealed to the JUI-S chief to play the role of a mediator between different groups of Taliban as they considered him (Maulana Sami) their elder. The delegation members assured him that they would accept his decision for reconciliation in Afghanistan.

Maulana Sami told them that the Afghan issue was very complicated and its resolution was not an easy task for him. However, he said he wished to see a logical end to Afghan jihad and its result like freedom of the country and supremacy of Islam, as well as an end to bloodshed in Afghanistan.

He advised the delegation to initially arrange a meeting between sincere religious leaders and the Taliban without any interference of the United States and Pakistan at a secret place to understand each others’ basic aims.

The Maulana said that once the two sides agreed on basic things then demand for freedom of Afghanistan and repatriation of Nato forces from the country be raised. After that, he added, all Afghan groups should sit together for a system in the country which was acceptable to the people of Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2018