Liaquat Baloch asks govt to remove trust deficit with Afghanistan

KHAR: Welcoming the decision of reopening Pakistan-Afghanistan border, acting chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Liaqat Baloch Tuesday asked the federal government to persuade the Afghan government to stop the use of its land for terror acts in Pakistan.

He was addressing a consultative meeting of the tribal elders during his short visit to Bajaur Agency. The meeting was hosted by Sirajuddin Khan, JI’s head of public relationship wing for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Besides the JI leaders, prominent elders from all the sub-divisions of the agency attended the meeting.

The meeting was also addressed by JI provincial vice-president Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid, provincial head public relationship Syed Bakhtiar Maani, JI Fata president Sardar Khan, agency president Qari Abdul Majeed, Siraj Khan and others.

Liaqat Baloch said that the prime minister had taken a wise step to direct immediate reopening of the border. He said it was a good decision but the federal government should also improve its policies and persuade the Afghan government to stop the use of its land for terror acts in Pakistan.

He said the US after its failure in Afghanistan had managed to increase Indian influence in Afghanistan and it was the responsibility of the rulers of Pakistan to review policies to remove the trust deficit with Afghanistan to lessen Indian influence there.

The JI leader also expressed concern over the alleged racial profiling of the Pakhtuns in Punjab. He said there were reports of discrimination against the Pakhtuns in other provinces as well. He said that the Pakhtuns were the proud and patriotic citizens of the country and the series of hate-profiling against them should be stopped forthwith.

Liaqat Baloch also stressed the need for immediate mainstreaming of Fata and implementation of the Fata reforms. He said the tribal people should be given all the rights like the people of the settled parts of the country. The sense of deprivation among the tribal people could be overcome through sincere steps to bring the tribal belt on a par with the developed parts of the country.

The JI leader said there was a greater need for establishing the best education institutions from lower to higher level in every tribal agency. The health facilities in the tribal areas should also be improved. Jobs should be created for the tribal youth, he said.

Syed Bakhiar Maani highlighted the objectives of the moot. He said the JI had launched a series of consultative sessions at every district and agency level wherein prominent people of the respective areas are invited irrespective of their political affiliations and ideological background.The aim of these sessions was to open JI’s doors for everybody, get suggestions from the worthy elders and improve party policies in light of those suggestions.

Some tribal elders also spoke on the occasion.