PESHAWAR, Oct 22: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has called for deploying collective wisdom and shrewdness in making decision in the prevailing circumstances. “Becoming sentimental or vociferously shouting slogans would not do. We should not set our house ablaze for the benefit of others. We must have to secure the safety of our own house,” he added.

He was addressing a tribal jirga at Landi Kotal on Monday during his visit to Khyber Agency. A large number of tribal elders, chieftains and maliks attended the jirga, said a handout.

The emerging situation warrants prudence in national approach which must be in the interest of the country and the future generation, he said. “We are at the threshold of our history where some vested interests are out to create chaos and confusion. How these elements, talking about loot, plunder, chaos and confusion and parading against the collective will and interest of the majority, could be the well-wishers of Pakistan?” he questioned.

The governor told the jirga that the act of such elements would neither damage America nor benefit Taliban, but they were providing the enemies an opportunity to fulfil their nefarious designs against Pakistan. He said these were the elements doubting and opposing the Taliban leadership when their blue-eyed were expelled from Afghanistan, but now they supported the Taliban for the fulfilment of their own ends.

He said that the government would not restrict anybody to cross over to Afghanistan. “They can go for whatever ends they wanted and we would definitely garland them, but would not allow anybody to disrupt the tranquil social life of the people of Pakistan. We cannot allow pandemonium and violent agitation,” he remarked.

He said that previously there was a Jihad in Afghanistan, posing a question, “could you tell me how many religious leaders practically participated in that Jihad? They are trying to play with the sentiments of the innocent people and their religious sentiments, which is a disservice to the country.”

Referring to the Afghanistan problem, the governor said that “it is our neighbouring country; we have sympathies and affection for the people of Afghanistan and we want to mitigate their sufferings. If the ruling coterie of that country has decided to put its people in trouble, nobody could get them out from that situation. It is not a wise decision to put the lives of teeming millions at stake for one individual.”

The governor said that it was always the ruling elite in Afghanistan who created problems for their people. The history of Afghanistan’s suffering was too long, he added.

He said that the tribal people always upheld the flag of Pakistan’s freedom. He thanked them for their support.