PESHAWAR, Dec 9: Niazi tribe shoora, comprising four provinces of Afghanistan, has demanded equal representation in the proposed Loya Jirga to decide the future setup of the country.

The Shoora also urged the new managers to declare general amnesty for all the prisoners of war (POWs), including, foreigners arrested after the fall of Taliban government.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, a spokesman for the Shoora, Malik Daud Shah Niazi, said that Niazi tribe, one of the major Pakhtoon tribes of Afghanistan, had held jirgas in Paktia, Khost, Logar and Pervan provinces which were attended by all notables, former Jihadi leaders and elders.

He said the Shoora fully endorsed the decision of the Bonn conference and hailed the appointment of Hamid Karzai as chairman of the interim council.

He said the Shoora backed the UN-sponsored peace process in Afghanistan, including, holding Loya Jirga and the deployment of peacekeepers in Kabul and other areas.

The Niazi tribe, he said wanted good relations with Afghanistan.

Malik Daud Shah urged all Afghans to become united and take part in the reconstruction of their war-torn country.

He said that peace had been restored in Paktia, Khost, Logar and Pervan provinces and there was complete understanding among the tribal elders of the area.