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‘Don’t end Waziristan pact under US pressure’

* Fazlur Rehman opposes fencing and mining of Afghan border

By Akhtar Amin

PESHAWAR: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has asked the government not to give up the Waziristan peace agreement “under US pressure”, adding that a fight between the army and tribesmen would lead to chaos in Pakistan.

“I played a key role in making the agreement possible,” he told reporters after a Gaddafi Foundation programme at a hotel on Saturday, “and I will play a key role in sustaining it.” Rehman said he would not give the government “a free hand” to renounce the deal under foreign pressure. “The fight is neither in the tribesmen’s interest, nor in that of the government,” he said. “It is in the interest of the US, who wants us to fight against each other.”

Expressing concern over the Pakistan Army’s air strikes, which he said killed innocent tribesmen, Fazl asked the government not to repeat the act and follow the “one hundred percent successful” peace deal.

“The opposition is united against President Pervez Musharraf’s re-election from the current assemblies,” said Fazlur Rehman, who is also the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), adding that he would reunite the opposition if it happened.

To a question about resignations from parliament, he said it was an “extreme step” that would be taken only if the current assemblies elect President Musharraf for another term.

He opposed the government’s decision to fence and mine the border with Afghanistan, saying the measure would damage ties between Islamabad and Kabul. “Fencing and mining will only restrict two percent of militants,” he said, “but who will stop the 98 percent of attacks from within Afghanistan?” To a question, he said peace jirgas would not be successful unless the Taliban were involved, because they were the ones opposing the Karzai government.

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