JI seeks end to violence in Pakhtun-inhabited areas

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan and Afghanistan have been urged to take concerted measures to curb violence in Pakhtun-inhabited areas.

A Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) leader issued the call at the Bajaur Press Club on Sunday, saying that his party was willing to support efforts for peace.

Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed, the party chief for the district, said violence in the former tribal region had inflicted big losses on its residents.

Following the exit of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, he noted, conflict on either side of the Durand Line was detrimental to Pakhtuns from both countries.

The ongoing unrest essentially stemmed from misunderstandings, which must be removed through negotiations, the Jamaat leader believed.

He asked the Pakistani establishment to pursue talks and abandon the use of force, a policy that had spawned multiple problems for the country.

Rasheed also urged the interim government of Afghanistan to play an effective role in bringing peace and stability to the region.

mud