Iraqi Prime Minister, Ali Al-Zaidi, on Wednesday instructed the formation of a committee to sever the affiliation of the “Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq” movement and Kata'ib al-Imam Ali with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Al-Zaidi also received two delegations from the “Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq” movement and Kata'ib al-Imam Ali and expressed his thanks and appreciation for the responsible stance taken by Qais al-Khazali and Shibl al-Zaidi, and for their contribution to strengthening the state-building process. This comes in response to the directives of the supreme religious authority, referring in Iraq to the highest Shi’a religious authority based in Najaf, most prominently Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and to their support for the government’s policies and ministerial program aimed at restricting weapons to the state and placing all armed formations under the authority of the state and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The Prime Minister also affirmed that “Iraq is witnessing today an important transformation in light of the significant security stability that has been achieved, which makes the current stage one of construction, reconstruction, and comprehensive development. This requires the concerted efforts of all Iraqis to participate in the country’s renaissance and to strengthen state institutions.”

He praised “the scale of sacrifices made by members of the armed forces and security services, in all their formations, in confronting challenges that threatened the existence of the Iraqi state,” stressing that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were one of the main factors in achieving security stability, and that its members today represent a fundamental pillar in the path of construction and development alongside the rest of the state institutions.

It was also decided during the meeting to form a joint committee tasked with setting appropriate mechanisms to implement measures to disengage from the PMF and restrict weapons to the state within the next two days, in line with the constitution and the law, strengthening state authority, and contributing to security, stability, and the consolidation of a strong Iraqi state capable of fulfilling the aspirations of its citizens.