By Yousaf Ali in The News, Dec 16, 2022
PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar on Saturday urged all the stakeholders to play a sincere role to end the prolonged militancy and restore peace in the Pakhtun region.
The seminar on “Talks Between the Government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan” was arranged by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) here.
The programme was presided over by provincial president of Jamaat-e-Islami Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan. Parliamentary leader of AWami National Party in Khyber Pakhtunkwha Assembly Sardar Hussain Babak, Director IRS Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khali, provincial president Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami Maulana Yousaf Shah, journalist Mohammad Rasool Dawar and columnist Alamgir Afridi addressed the seminar.
The speakers said that the real players of the conflict should have mercy on the people and allow them to lead a peaceful life.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan said that the problems were resolved through talks. He referred to the talks process for resolution of major disputes in the world and in the region. However, he said that talks should be held between the real stakeholders, not the affectees.
In the case of the prevailing militancy, all rounds of talks have been held between victims, not the real players, he said and recalled the process of talks held on the directives of the parliament in 2014.
He too was a member of the talks committee, he said, adding, the talks had failed to bear any positive results. A month after the talks, military operation was launched in North Waziristan in June 2014 and a number of claims have been made that the area has been cleansed of terrorism. But even today – eight years after the full-fledged military operation and presence of strong military forces – terrorist incidents do take place in North Waziristan and the game of killing and martyrdom is going on. “This game should come to an end,” he added.
Sardar Hussain Babak said that the lawlessness on the Pakhtun-dominated soil was not a tragedy or an accident, but a larger plan.
He said that efforts were not made to extinguish the fire in the neighboring Afghanistan, rather the fire was being fanned and fueled. He said that the increasing incidents of terror in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed as if there was nothing in the name of government in the province.
He referred to a number of recent attacks on innocent citizens and police personnel in various parts of the province. He said it seemed that the provincial government had gone into hiding under a conspiracy. Neither chief minister nor a minister was there to visit the houses of the victims of the recent attacks and condole the martyrdom of their dear ones, he said.
He said that the narrative of the ANP was not any person, group or institution specific. “We are not against anyone. We just advocate the case of the Pakhtun nation. We want peace on the soil of the Pakhtuns,” he stressed.
He added that the war was imposed on the Pakhtuns. It was not only ANP that was targeted in the war but every Pakhtun, who was excelling in his respective field, was murdered. “Maulana Hassan Jan, Dr Farooq or Tahir Dawar did not belong to ANP. But they were targeted and killed for being sane Pakhtun voices,” he said.
He stressed all the political forces to own the narrative of peace as their top priority. He said that the powerful circles were not sincere in maintaining peace. “I challenge them to give full authority to police and they would uproot terrorism within no time,” he said.
He said that everyone would have to play his share of role for restoration of peace in the region. He urged all the political parties and the general Pakhtun public to come forward and strive for peace.
“Let’s raise a white flag, the flag of peace, and make joint effort for end to terrorism on our soil,” he said.
Maulana Yousaf Shah said that use of force was not the solution to any issue. All the problems are resolved through talks and dialogue, he said. He said the issue pertained to the state level and the leadership of both Pakistan and Afghanistan should sit together and resolve the problem.
He spoke about some previous rounds of talks, which could not prove successful. He said that the issue had been created by certain forces and only they could resolve it.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1020441-seminar-on-talks-with-ttp-speakers-call-for-efforts-to-restore-peace-in-pakhtun-region
