TIMERGARA, Nov 15: The Malakand peace jirga has decided to hold multi-party conferences in the region from Nov 21 to mobilise public opinion to mount pressure on the government to resolve the Swat crisis.

This was announced during a meeting in Chakdarra on Thursday.

The four-hour meeting was called by Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and was attended by ulema, political leaders and local government representatives from Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla and Malakand agency.

A sub-committee of the jirga said that it had met with the caretaker chief minister of the NWFP and Maulana Fazlullah but the government was unwilling to accept Maulana Fazlullah’s demands, adding that the provincial caretaker set up was powerless to decide freely.

The jirga decided that it would convene an all-party conference on Nov 21 in Malakand agency, on Nov 22 in Dir Lower, on Nov 23 in Dir upper, on Nov 24 in Buner and on Nov 25 in Mingora, Swat.

The jirga also decided to send a delegation to Amir Muqam, Bakht Baidar Khan and Sayed Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha to inform the government about the wishes of the people of Malakand.

The jirga discussed the situtation in Malakad division and urged the chief of army staff and the corp commander of Peshawar to immediately suspend military operation in Swat and Shangla and initiate negotiation.

The jirga also urged Maulana Fazlullah to identify enemies in his ranks and take stern action against them. It demanded of the government to empower the jirga to bring peace in the region.