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Taliban leader warns against using religion for electoral gains

* Terms democracy ‘un-Islamic’
* Says Taliban members participating in elections ‘will be severely punished’
* Private candidate says Taliban divided over supporting JUI-F
* JUI-F leader says no immediate threat to his life

By Iqbal Khattak

BANNU: A senior Taliban leader warned parties on Thursday against “using religion for electoral gains”, saying they would join parties urging boycott of January 8 polls.

“In Shariah, democracy is un-Islamic. Our movement is completely against what you call democracy in which a small majority can decide irrespective of the fact whether what they have done was good or bad,” the Taliban leader, asking not to be named, told Daily Times in an interview here.

He said the Taliban were “against elements who are using Islam for electoral gains”.

The warning comes at a time when Maulana Fazlur Rehman, contesting the National Assembly seat NA-26 in Bannu besides NA-24 (Dera Ismail Khan), is rallying for party candidates to win as many National and provincial assembly seats amidst stiff challenges from rival candidates in southern districts of the Frontier province, the JUI-F heartland.

Severe punishment: “Our members in Bannu district are strictly barred from taking part in the elections and anyone found guilty of violating the directive will be severely punished,” said the senior Taliban leader who did not wish to be identified.

He said there were around 500 Taliban members in Bannu city. “We will join forces trying to convince the people that people’s solution of problems does not rest with democracy,” he said.

Taliban divided: A candidate contesting provincial assembly seat PF-72 said the Taliban were “divided” over their support for the JUI-F in Bannu district, very close to North Waziristan.

“Some of the Taliban support the JUI-F but some of them do not,” private candidate Dr Sahib Zaman told Daily Times. The JUI-F chief, according to the government, is on the “hit-list of terrorists”.

Police sources in Dera Ismail Khan said on Tuesday that a bulletproof jeep was provided to the JUI-F and his security level was upped following a suicide attack on former interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao on Eid in Charsadda district.

The JUI-F chief denied that he was target of terrorists but acknowledged that the government did notify him that he was a likely target of terrorists.

No immediate threat: “I do not think there is an immediate threat to my life. Why should I be killed?” the JUI-F chief told Daily Times on Tuesday moments after he addressed local party leaders and vehemently dismissed as “baseless” accusations that he made little efforts to stop military operations in tribal areas.

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