The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) peace jirga, comprising stakeholders from the province, on Wednesday unanimously demanded that the federal government prioritise negotiations with Afghanistan and consult the KP government over Afghan policy.
The jirga, organised by the KP government, demanded a provincial action plan, reopening of all trade routes with Afghanistan, and also reducing tensions between the KP and federal governments.
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.
On Wednesday, the gathering, held with Speaker KP Assembly Babar Saleem Swati in the chair, was attended by former governors, chief ministers, tribal elders, lawmakers, representatives of all the political parties in KP-both from the provincial and National Assembly, legal experts, business community, media and members from the civil society.
The participants gave written suggestions to the organisers and shared their suggestions during their speeches, with most suggesting talks with the Afghan Taliban regime for lasting peace, taking the provincial government on board before making any decision regarding peace in KP, and resolving the differences between the federal and provincial government for the larger public interest.
After an hours long debate in the KP Assembly, the participants, in a declaration issued after the gathering’s conclusion, condemned militant attacks in the province, especially in the merged districts, and reiterated that the provincial government utilise all available resources to root out militancy for lasting peace in the province.
The participants also demanded an in-camera briefing for the lawmakers on the ongoing military actions against terrorists within a stipulated time period, besides, immediate implementation of all the resolutions passed by the KP Assembly for peace in the province, in letter and spirit.
The gathering demanded constituting ‘peace forums’ with its members comprising youth, politicians, minorities and women. The declaration stated that the provincial finance commission should be linked with the National Finance Commission (NFC) to give financial protection and stability to local governments.
The participants also demanded that KP should be provided its rights, including Net-Hydel Profit, federal excise duty on oil, water share, precedence of natural gas, NFC share for the merged districts, implementation of 11th NFC Award, Galyat Drinking Water initiative besides implementation of Article 151 for wheat supply to KP.
Earlier, KP CM Sohail Afridi 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.
“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.