Saladin Provincial Council establishes PMF committee
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Saladin Provincial Council announced the establishment of a Committee for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) within the council.
The council's media office stated that Atif Ali Samin Hassan Al-Najjar, a member of the provincial council, was unanimously voted as the committee's chairman.
The PMF (in Arabic: Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi) was formed from armed factions, mainly Shia, in mid-2014 in response to a jihad fatwa issued by Prominent Shiite Marja'a Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, aimed at combating ISIS that had seized control of four northern and northwestern governorates, including Dilala, Saladin, Kirkuk, and Nineveh and approached the borders of the capital Baghdad.
The PMF played a significant role in assisting the Iraqi army in defeating ISIS and liberating Iraqi cities, and has since transformed into an entity with a specific law passed by the Iraqi parliament and is under the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Iraq.
After the defeat of ISIS in 2017, the PMF factions continue to operate in areas where terrorist remnants are hidden, launching attacks in collaboration with the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces. However, the PMF has also become one of Iraq's political and institutional powers, with its economic influence expanding significantly.
The PMF's victory in Iraq's December 2023 provincial elections further highlights its remarkable resilience, securing 101 out of 285 provincial council seats.
The outcome of these provincial elections is crucial for Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections, as it empowers incumbents to wield patronage and influence over the electoral landscape. Dominant political actors in the provincial councils have extensive mandates and resources, including control over budgets, employment of civil servants, contracts, and local security.
