Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday called for a “shift” in the Centre’s counterterrorism policies by including all stakeholders in the decision-making process as his government convened a multi-party jirga.
The peace jirga had been called by the KP government to discuss the law and order situation in KP and discuss strategies for re-establishing peace in the province. At the previous jirga held in the Khyber district on October 25, CM Afridi had warned against launching any new military operation in the tribal districts.
“I expect that a durable and permanent solution to this menace of terrorism, which has been eating away at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for more than 20 years, will be found,” CM Afridi said while addressing the moot.
The KP CM called for a policy shift, which he said would entail by “coming out of the closed rooms, considering other individuals intelligent, considering politicians as wise”, and including security forces, stakeholders of KP, leaders of all political parties, and members of all schools of thought in the policymaking process.
“We repeatedly speak of peace, but unfortunately, some people dislike it,” the chief minister said. Noting that terrorism needed to be eliminated for peace to be achieved, CM Afridi said militancy had not been eradicated by “decisions taken behind closed doors and imposed on us”.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is attending the event at the invitation of the provincial government. Representatives of the federal government are also expected to attend.
The Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), all of which are part of the opposition in KP Assembly, are participating in the moot as well.
KP Speaker Babar Saleem Swati is chairing the jirga aimed at discussing strategies for restoring peace and countering militancy across the province. PML-N’s Ibadullah Khan, the opposition leader in KP Assembly, is among the MPAs attending the moot.
At the outset of his remarks, CM Afridi welcomed all attendees from various segments of political circles and civil society.
Meanwhile, the KP speaker said that while there was “no doubt” that the country possessed brave armed forces, it “makes you think that peace is not being established despite having intelligence [operations]”.
The jirga began with prayers for those martyred in terrorism across the province.
ANP KP President Mian Iftikhar Hussain and former JI emir Sirajul Haq, as well as delegations of the JUI-F and the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), are participating in the peace jirga.
Former CM Mahmood Khan, ex-governor Shaukatullah Khan, Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party central chairman Afzal Shah Khamosh, lawyers, and stakeholders from various schools of thought are among other attendees.
“The actions by the enemies of peace in Bannu, Wana, and Islamabad before the jirga are a conspiracy to sabotage the peace process. The enemies of peace will fail, and peace is our future,” former KP minister Kamran Khan Bangash said on X before the moot began.
Swati and Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi were welcomed by a police contingent when they arrived at the venue.
The moot comes amid a recent spate of terror attacks across the country, with the federal capital also witnessing a rare deadly blast yesterday that killed at least 12 people.
The terrorism situation in KP also remains concerning. In Dera Ismail Khan’s Daraban tehsil, a bomb attack targeted a security forces’ convoy yesterday, injuring at least 14 personnel.
On Monday, the Cadet College in South Waziristan’s Wana came under attack. While all students and teachers were reported to have been safely rescued and all terrorists holed up inside the building were killed, the clearance operation resulted in the martyrdom of three individuals.
PPP parliamentary leader in the KP Assembly Ahmad Karim Kundi had hailed the decision to hold the peace jirga, noting that the poor law and order situation was the biggest issue faced by the province.
He said that while political parties had held jirgas for peace, a jirga was being held at the provincial assembly for the first time, representing the will of 40 million of the province.
JUI-F provincial emir Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman and provincial general secretary Senator Maulana Attaul Haq Dervesh were to represent the party in the jirga, according to party spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan.
From the JI, party leaders Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and former senior minister Inayatullah Khan were to attend the peace moot, a spokesperson had told Dawn.
‘Peace above politics’
“Peace is more important for us than politics,” senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser said before the jirga began, pointing out that political leaders of the entire province had been gathered today.
Qaiser welcomed the participation of all political parties, including those in the opposition. “We will formulate a national policy through this jirga,” he said, adding that his party will present their demands before the Centre related to counter-terrorism.
The PTI leader, reiterating his party’s stance, said the Pak-Afghan tensions should be resolved diplomatically. “There will be peace in Pakistan once there is peace in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that the KP government will also present its demands before the Afghan ruling administration.
Echoing Qaiser’s sentiments, PML-N’s Ibadullah told the media, “We have set aside a myriad of differences and are sitting with the PTI.”
He highlighted that a jirga was being convened in the KP Assembly for the first time and said he was hopeful for a positive outcome of it.
The KP opposition leader noted that today’s moot had a single-point agenda of peace. “Terrorism is the number one issue. Amendments are the parliament’s matter,” he said.
“There should be no talks with terrorists,” Ibadullah asserted. “There will be no pardon for those who slew our children’s heads.”
