Benefiting from ruling coalition partner’s engagements and compulsions, leaders and stalwarts of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have intensified efforts for enhancing its popularity and support in the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA).
For the purpose, the JI has assigned the task to its former chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad, who addressed another well-attended public rally in Mianmandi, Gandab area of Mohmand Agency on Sunday.
Compared with other political and religious forces, the JI has adopted an ironic policy regarding the ongoing war on terror or “trends of terrorism on the name of Taliban”. On one hand, the JI leadership blames the US government for the ongoing violence and bloodshed in the country and on the other, its leadership is pressing the government to stop military action and resolve the issue through dialogue.
Although the JI lost its soft-spoken leader Haji Dost Mohammad in Peshawar’s Qissa Khwani suicide blast on April 19, 2010, the party has overall remained “safe” amidst violence and terrorism in the country.
Contemporary parties like the Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party are on top of militant’s list. The stance of Fazalur Rehman’s JUI-F is also different, as a majority of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leaders and commanders remain associated with the JUI-F, however, the party also suffered a lot due to internal rifts in the TTP and other militant groups. Unlike its rivals, the JI is active in FATA politics and has reasonable support in certain pockets like Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur agencies. JI leaders and stalwarts from all over the region have welcomed the extension of Political Parties’ Act to FATA and Qazi has been at the forefront, going ahead with addressing public gatherings in the tribal region. He addressed the first-ever public gathering in Landikotal tehsil of Khyber Agency and second in Khar, headquarters of Bajaur.
Besides Qazi, Jamaat Islami’s public meeting at Mianmandi area of Mohmand Agency was addressed by party’s provincial chief Senator Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid, Zar Noor Afridi and Mohammad Saeed Khan Mohmand. The JI meeting was attended by more than three thousand people, including tribal elders, and Qazi remained “careful” while commenting on the activities of the Taliban. In his address, Qazi held no other than the US responsible for what he called the “ongoing genocide of innocent tribesmen and destruction of properties worth billions of rupees”. “Pakistan suffered a lot for American friendship and now it is high time to walk away from such friendship,” he said.
He said peace and stability would return whenever Pakistan terminated all sorts of ties with the US. Reiterating JI’s stance, Qazi opposed military action (against militants) in the Tribal Areas, saying “it couldn’t help resolve the issues”. He asked the government to stop military action and find out solution to all problems through table talks, which he said was in accordance with tribal traditions.
