JI chief Qazi warns forming tribal lashkars will push Pak towards a civil war

A senior Islamist leader in Pakistan has reportedly said that the formation of lashkars (body of local tribesmen) to fight back the Taliban was a wrong policy and that it was resulting in further militarizing the society.

Peshawar, Oct 13 : A senior Islamist leader in Pakistan has reportedly said that the formation of lashkars (body of local tribesmen) to fight back the Taliban was a "wrong policy" and that it was resulting in further "militarizing the society".

He said this should be stopped, else it would result in civil war in the Tribal and settled areas of the NWFP.

"The move was pushing the society towards chaos and uncertainty, resulting in further bloodshed," the Daily Times quoted Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad as saying at a press conference.

He said that the government would not achieve its objectives from the move that would "further militarise" the society. The bomb attack on a tribal jirga in Orakzai Agency was a result of the "wrong" policy of raising tribal lashkars in the agency, he claimed.

He said that the war (being fought in the Tribal Areas) was a "conspiracy hatched by the US", which, he added, was planning to "shift the war theatre from Afghanistan to Pakistan".

Qazi said that the events in the Bajaur Agency were also a part of the same game, and that the US wanted to establish its military base in Bajaur.

He further said that the allies of the US in the war on terror such as the UK and France were now admitting that they were fighting a "useless" war in Afghanistan where a "decisive" military victory was impossible.

He demanded that the government start negotiations with the Taliban in Bajaur Agency through the "true representatives" of the people of those areas and end the war. Hundreds of people had been displaced and that civilians had borne the brunt of this "useless" war, he added.

ANI