Peshawar Declaration: A Path for Pakistan

[Robb]

Peshawar Declaration: A Path for Pakistan

On December 12 and 13, a two days workshop/conference was held in Peshawar with the sole agenda “Terrorism - the ways out”. The workshop was attended by the political parties and civil society organizations that actively opposed terrorism. The participants were keen to contribute and participate in discussions regarding the political, ideological, strategic, economic, and cultural and education/ awareness related aspects of the agenda. The participants were divided into Five Groups and they freely expressed their opinions about the topics they had selected by choice. On the first day every group came up with a rough draft. On the second day final recommendations were drawn from the rough drafts. In a commendable show of unity, members with different political affiliations and shades of opinion succeeded in agreeing upon a single document of consensus.

The workshop was attended by the provincial leadership of Awami National Party (ANP), Pukhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party PMAP, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Pakistan Peoples Party Sherpao PPP(S), National Party (NP) and Awami party Pakistan (APP). Civil society organizations under the banner of Amn Tehrik, (Peace Movement) <1> businessmen, doctors, lawyers,
teachers, students, laborers and intellectuals also participated in the workshop. Representatives
from all the agencies of FATA, Swat, Malakand and Buner also participated. A significant number of female participants were also present.

Each group presented its report before the Conference. Every report was critically analyzed, objections raised and recommendations for improvement discussed. It was decided that all the reports should be amalgamated into a joint declaration namely “Peshawar Declaration. A five member committee was constituted to prepare the documentation.

After deliberation it was decided that all the organizations that attended the conference will jointly struggle to translate Peshawar Declaration into actions. For this purpose, ten members Coordination Committee (Rabita Committee) was constituted comprising of members from ANP, PMAP, PPPP, PPP
Sherpao, Awami Party, National Party and Amn Tehrik (Peace Movement). After the discussion the participants made political, ideological and strategic aspects as a single/one report.....

Believe me, if you're interested in AfPak, this is not to be missed. I about dropped my coffee three or four times reading this thing. Excerpts:

These people call for a real and targeted military operation and strongly condemn the dramas in the name of military operations. These people do not support any peace deals with the militants but unlike them the rest of Pakistan talk of putting an end to the military operations and resuming the so-called peace deals.

The issue of Drone attacks is the most important one. If the people of the war-affected areas are satisfied with any counter militancy strategy, it is the Drone attacks which they support the most. According to the people of Waziristan , Drones have never killed any civilian. Even some people in Waziristan compare Drones with Ababels. (The holy swallows send by God to avenge Abraha, the intended conqueror the Khana Kaaba).<18> A component of the Pakistani media, some retired generals, a few journalists/analysts and pro-Taliban political parties never tire in their baseless propaganda against Drone attacks.

NATO and ISAF should stay in Afghanistan until terrorism is uprooted, foreign interference in Afghanistan must be stopped and the institutions of army and police are established on solid footings. However they should offer a clear time frame for the withdrawal of troops. The US has supported some of the terrorist and it still holds a double standard. Americans are blamed to supporting Jandullah Group.<21> Similarly they are least interested in dealing with the terrorist from Sangkiang.<22> Therefore, no peace loving person would tolerate them after terrorism is uprooted.

Positive portrayal of terrorists should be discouraged. Suicide bomber is the most lethal weapon in the hands of the terrorists. The experience of last many years has proved that the age of suicide bomber is from 12 – 20 years. This age group should be educated that this act is against humanity and Islam. A massive campaign in this regard should be lunched in all the schools, seminaries, every house and village and of course the media should be utilize for this purpose and repeatedly re-telecasted. If we are able to educate this age group it would been that the terrorists will lose their major weapon.

[NJmaverick]

1. I didn't find this stuff surprising

it was a great article though. I think the view on Drones is one people constantly posting the anti-drone commentary should take heed of. Time to end the cultural arrogance and actually listen to the people living there.

[NJmaverick]

2. Wow, this post got recced down. I guess people prefer the inaccurate views of anti-war bloggers

over those of the people living in the region.

[Robb]

3. It's dry stuff

...also some here see me recently as the voice of imperialist running dogs or some such, so there's a bit of that.