PESHAWAR: Participants of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amn Jirga on Wednesday called upon the federal and provincial governments, security forces and intelligence agencies to ensure full coordination and cooperation to achieve lasting peace in the militancy-hit province.
The day-long Amn Jirga, chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, was held at the provincial assembly hall and attended by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi and Opposition Leader Dr. Ibadullah.
Leaders from around 20 political parties, including Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao of the Qaumi Watan Party, Sirajul Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami, Mian Iftikhar Hussain of Awami National Party, Junaid Akbar Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Mehmood Khan of PTI-Parliamentarians and representatives of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and National Democratic Movement, participated in the Jirga.Members of civil society, traders, lawyers, writers and journalists were also in attendance.
The assembly building was made available for the event through a motion passed during the ongoing assembly session. The jirga focused on forging a united stance against militancy and promoting peace across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In the first session, each political party and organization presented its views, while the second session concluded with a 15-point joint communiqué to be shared with the federal government, security forces and the provincial Apex Committee on security. The communiqué condemned the ongoing wave of militancy and urged that the provincial assembly be taken into confidence before any peace-related initiative. It stressed the implementation of all previous assembly resolutions on peace and recommended that the police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) lead internal security operations, with other security forces providing assistance when needed.
The jirga also called for regular briefings to the assembly on security operations and the formation of provincial and local peace jirgas involving representatives of political, religious, and civil groups. It demanded that the federal government consult the KP government on Pak-Afghan affairs and reopen all trade routes between the two countries to promote legal trade.
The jirga urged the Centre to release KP’s outstanding dues from net hydel profits, oil, gas, water and other resources and to convene the Council of Common Interests meetings within the constitutional timeframe.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi called for unity among political forces and transparency in decision-making on security matters. “When a bomb explodes, it does not see whether the victim is from PTI or PPP-the victims are our people,” he said, adding that all stakeholders must be taken into confidence before any major step is taken in the province. Sohail Afridi criticized the practice of making decisions behind closed doors, asserting that such approaches had failed to yield durable results. “We need a real policy shift—a policy that involves all political leaders, security forces, civil society and representatives of every community. No solution can be sustainable without consulting those directly affected by insecurity,” he said.
Highlighting KP’s sacrifices, the chief minister recalled that the province had suffered the most in the fight against terrorism, with security forces, police, politicians, and civilians all bearing heavy losses. Yet, he added, the people’s resolve for peace had never wavered.
“We provide the country with electricity, gas, and natural resources, yet our rightful dues are withheld. This step-motherly treatment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is unacceptable,” he remarked, urging political representatives within the federal government to raise the province’s case forcefully at the national level.
Touching upon Pak-Afghan relations, the chief minister underscored that developments in bilateral dialogue have direct implications for KP. He called for provincial stakeholders to be consulted in any such discussions, given the province’s deep social, cultural and linguistic ties with the Afghan people.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi lauded the jirga initiative, terming it a positive step toward building consensus. “Collective responsibility and a unanimous voice are essential against the prevailing insecurity and militancy,” he said. “Holding such a jirga at the provincial assembly is a great achievement of the speaker and provincial government,” he added, emphasising that the federal and provincial governments must ensure cooperation and coordination to tackle militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain urged the provincial government to show political will against militancy in KP, saying the PTI had been in power for the last 13 years. He called for abandoning the state’s “strategic depth” and “proxy policy,” and stressed the full implementation of the National Action Plan, saying no distinction should be made between “good” and “bad” militants. “Practical steps must be taken against all non-state actors who own, support or facilitate terrorism,” he said.
