PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami has asked government to use diplomatic channels and other countries for holding talks with Taliban government in Afghanistan to stop infiltration of militants from the neighbouring country.

Jamaat-i-Islami provincial deputy head Inayatullah Khan said that negotiations with Afghan Taliban failed in the past because stakeholders, parliament and political parties were not taken onboard.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, he said that JI rejected the decision of federal government to launch a military operation. He said that JI was ready to join hands with other political parties for launching a ‘resistance movement’ against operation Azm-i-Istehkam Pakistan.

Mr Khan said that the military operation would further increase distances between army and people. He said that seven large and 12 small scale military operations were carried out in the province and erstwhile tribal areas during the last 20 years that destroyed infrastructure. He added militancy was increased after the operations.

The JI leader said that more than five million people had to leave their homes and more than 60,000 shops and houses were destroyed in the operations. He added that people lived a miserable life in camps but militancy could not be rooted out.

He demanded that checkposts of army and Frontier Corps should be replaced with police. He said that army should focus on Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He added that police’s capabilities could not be enhanced despite several military operations.

Mr Khan also expressed reservations over imposition of taxes in Malakand division and merged districts.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024