Hawzah News Agency- Some parties have called for the dissolution of by Ayatollah Sistani through a Fatwa (religious edict), but the esteemed Shia source of emulation has opposed such a move.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed Iraqi source as saying that some regional and international sides have sought the PMU, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi to be dissolved and hand over its weapons to the Iraqi government.

He said the dissolution of the popular force is a Western demand, especially sought by the US, which is not happy with the activities of Iraqi resistance movements.

Another Iraqi source said that a recent trip to Najaf by UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Iraq Mohamed al-Hassan, during which he met with Ayatollah Sistani, was made with the same purpose.

He said al-Hassan asked Ayatollah Sistani during the meeting to issue a Fatwa on dissolving the PMU or integrating it into security bodies of Iraq.

The senior cleric, however, did not welcome the idea, the source added.

He noted that Ayatollah Sistani received Muhammad Al-Hassan in their first meeting, during which, they discussed the situation in the region and Iraq’s interests.

In the second meeting nearly a month later, Ayatollah Sistani did not receive the UN Secretary-General's representative in person but instead sent his son, Sayed Mohammad Reza, to greet him, the source stated.

He said this indicates that in the first meeting, the UN representative requested Ayatollah Sistani to dissolve the PMU, and the lack of a personal reception from Ayatollah Sistani in the second meeting signifies his opposition to this request.

The PMU is a government-sponsored umbrella organization composed of around 40 factions of volunteer counter-terrorism forces, including Shia Muslim groups like Asa’ib, besides Sunni Muslims, Christians and Kurds.