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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| MMA demands a halt to Waziristan operation |
| 2004-03-19 |
| Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government on Thursday asked the federal government to immediately stop the military operation in South Waziristan. "The on going operation in FATA has created unrest and fears among the people and it could engulf the entire region if it was not stopped forthwith," Senior Minister Sirajul Haq told the NWFP Assembly. The apprehensions of a guerrilla war in FATA were increasing and the burning flames in tribal areas, he said, would spread to the settled areas. He added that it was the need of the hour to halt such military operations and use of force for the resolution of the problem. He said the invisible forces have created instability in tribal areas by interfering in the tribal customs and traditions and the consequences of imposing decisions on tribesmen would be detrimental. He suggested to the federal government to take the tribal elders and elected representatives into confidence. The senior minister urged the government to withdraw ban on the entry of MMA leaders including Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad and others in tribal areas since FATA was part of Pakistan and the ban on entry of MMA leaders was unjustified. He said some people after committing crimes in settled areas usually take shelter in tribal areas but the government had never launched any operation in the past. Sirajul Haq observed that the recent reports from FATA were badly affecting tourism and creating a bad impression. He asked the government to take tribal elders into confidence and allow the MMA leaders to visit the troubled areas and it would largely solve the problems. Earlier on the suggestion of Maulana Mujahid of MMA, the House offered fateha for the martyred in the recent operations in Wana. On a point of order, the MMA MPA Pir Mohammad Khan said they were not spending billions of rupees on army to use it against tribesmen but to protect the country’s borders. Criticizing US interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, he said it has endangered the Pakistan and NWFP government. He asked the MMA government to take up the issue with federal government to stop operations in tribal areas, which could engulf the NWFP as well. The opposition leader Shahzada Gustasip opposed clashes in FATA saying they want peace and unity among Muslims. He asked the representatives of major political parties in National Assembly and Senate to take up the issue at proper forum to stop military operation in FATA. Maulana Haqqani expressed concern and asked the government to find out solution to the crisis through talks instead of using force. The parliamentary leaders of PPP-P, PPP-S and ANP, Abdul Akbar Khan, Sikandar Sherpao and Bashir Bilour, opposition leader, Shahzada Gustasip, Qalandar Lodhi, Wajihuzaman, PML-Q, deputy speaker, Ikramullah Shahid, Ghazala Habib and Riffat Akbar Swati, continued serious debate on the ADP amidst exchange of Urdu and Pushto poetry. Almost all the speakers including the deputy speaker, Ikramullah Shahid criticized the projections and allocations of schemes, funds in the ADP on the papers without any proper planning which they said were resulting in problems for them in their respective constituencies. All of them reminded the government’s promises and commitments, made during their speeches and on the papers. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #5 Sounds like MMA is part of the problem, and should get the same "treatment". Whack and stack, until you can't pile 'em any higher. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-3-19 1:08:34 PM |
| #4 Call it off? Not freakin' likely. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-3-19 11:48:32 AM |
| #3 Heading to the "Girls Gone Wild" shoot in Medina |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-3-19 8:33:36 AM |
| #2 Lol! I forgot my calendar! Heading for Lake Mead and dyeing your hair green this year, Frank? ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2004-3-19 6:53:30 AM |
| #1 "Sirajul Haq observed that the recent reports from FATA were badly affecting tourism and creating a bad impression" It's certainly changed my spring-break plans |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-3-19 4:42:25 AM |