KHAR, April 18: A grand jirga of the local Taliban and tribal elders of Bajaur Agency urged the government on Friday to replace the controversial Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) with Sharia law in the tribal region.

The jirga held in the Barkhlozo area of Mamond tehsil was addressed by naib amir of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Maulana Faqir Mohammad, its spokesman Maulavi Umer, Maulana Sher Bahadar, MNA from Bajaur Syed Akhunzada Chattan, Senator Maulana Abdul Rashid, former MNA Maulana Mohammad Sadiq, Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rashid, Malak Abdul Aziz, Malak Shah Jehan and Mian Masood Jan.

A large number of tribal elders, ulema and local political and social figures attended the jirga which was held following behind-the-scene contacts between the government and militant commanders through interlocutors.

Welcoming Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s announcement that the British-era FCR would be repealed, the jirga said that peace in the troubled tribal region depended on enforcement of Islamic law, severing ties with the US and an abandoning President Musharraf’s policies.Maulana Faqir said no system other than Islam was acceptable to the tribesmen.

He called upon the government to implement Sharia and warned that otherwise the Taliban themselves would make an announcement in this regard. “Peace and normality will return to the tribal region with the enforcement of Sharia.”

The Taliban leader said that there would be no peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan till US President Bush and Pervez Musharraf remained in power.

He urged the new government to adopt a policy acceptable to the Muslim Ummah.

He said that anti-Muslim policies of the US and its allies had forced the followers of Islam to wage jihad against infidel forces. He termed Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and Baitullah Mehsud heroes of Islam and said that Al Qaeda and the Taliban were fighting a religious war against infidels.

Maulana Faqir said that suicide attacks were only alternative to modern technology and lethal weapons of the sole superpower.

He said the Taliban would honour all agreements reached with the government for restoring peace in the tribal region.

He announced a general amnesty for all tribal people who had left the area in fear of Taliban. He alleged that the US was describing the tribal region as a dangerous zone in order to attack it.