PESHAWAR, July 21: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani called upon tribal elders on Monday to cooperate with the government in the war against militancy and extremism for the sake of peace in the region.

“Militancy and terrorism have plunged the entire region into a crisis and tribal elders should help the government in curbing militancy,” Mr Gilani told a grand tribal jirga held at the Governor’s House.

He asked elders and Maliks to play their role in eradicating militancy and establishing durable peace in the region. He asked jirga members to hold talks with Taliban militants to persuade them to give up militancy which threatened the entire region.

“You (elders) should talk to militants to renounce insurgency. Those who lay down arms are our friends and those who challenge the government’s writ are not sincere to the country,” Mr Gilani said.

He said that of the people wanted peace in the region and only a handful of elements were trying to impose their will by force. He added that there was no concept of militancy and suicide bombings in Islam.

He expressed his government’s resolve to restore peace and root out militancy. Our children need books and pencils, not suicide jackets,” said Mr Gilani, adding that every citizen had to abide the law of the land.

Expressing concern over sectarianism in several parts of the NWFP and Fata, the prime minister said the government would soon convene a conference of Sunni and Shia ulema to seek their guidance to confront the scourge of sectarianism.

He announced a 30 per cent increase in the annual development programme for Fata and promised to double the next ADP. He also announced Rs1 billion for electricity in the tribal region and recruitment of 15,000 local men for the Khasadar and Levies forces. He announced 100 new Lungi (turban) holders in each tribal agency, besides increasing the allowance of tribal elders. Lungi is a symbolic term for tribal elders who exercise some kind of authority in their area.