NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has welcomed President Musharraf’s decision to form a representative tribal jirga with the federal and provincial governments’ consent, for a solution to the unrest in tribal areas. He was talking to reporters at the Governor’s House after a meeting with Governor Khalilur Rehman to review law and order in the province and the adjoining Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).Durrani said the decision was ‘the right step at the right time in right direction’ and that the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government in the NWFP would cooperate with the jirga after its mandate and jurisdiction were finalised. “The provincial government will take tribal elders and other stakeholders on board,” he said. “Their problem is our problem and dialogue is the only way to resolve the issue.” “We had been urging the government for dialogue because the use of force never works,” Durrani said. “Had it worked, Afghanistan and Iraq would not have been destroyed.” He said Pakistan should learn from its mistakes and should not repeat them.
The provincial government would cooperate with the federal government for a resolution that is in accordance with the tribesmen’s wishes, he said. “The jirga will negotiate with all stakeholders to identify the real problems and find out solutions.” He said the meeting agreed that the measure was in line with the tribesmen’s customs, culture and aspirations and would be effective for peace in tribal areas. He said tribesmen were patriotic citizens.