PESHAWAR: KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has assured the Pashtun Tahaffuz Move­ment (PTM) that their genuine demands will be discussed at every level, and directed the provincial administration to provide all facilities for the three-day Qaumi Jirga, which started in Khyber on Friday.

Talking to reporters after holding negotiations with the representatives of the recently-proscribed PTM in Khyber late on Thursday night, CM Gandapur said he had taken responsibility for hosting the PTM’s jirga.

Mr Gandapur was empo­wered to engage with the PTM leadership by a ‘grand jirga’, which was held in Peshawar the previous day and attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Gov­ernor Faisal Karim Kundi, Speaker KP Asse­mbly Babar Saleem Swati, Leader of Opposition Dr Ibadullah, parliamentary leaders of political parties in the provincial legislature besides cabinet members and MPAs.

He said people from the newly-merged districts had suffered a lot and offered countless sacrifices for the nation, adding that tribesmen left their homes along with their families and relocated to safer places.

“Though peace could not be restored through military operations in the tribal areas, we solute the sacrifices of the tribesmen. Sacrifices build nations,” he said, adding “I asked the federal government to empower me and not to interfere in KP affairs.”

Alluding to the Khyber jirga, he held out the assurance that PTM activists would remain peaceful and all their genuine demands, to be presented before the jirga through a resolution, would be discussed at every level so that the issues could be resolved.

“I am the host and all these people coming from across the country are our guests. They will sit and share their demands through a resolution and I will contest their case,” he said, adding that “we will continue our efforts for peace”.

The CM said he was proud to have resolved the issue of allowing the PTM to hold its jirga.

However, Mr Gandapur pointed out that it would be he who would be facing the problems it if there were any as a result of his decision to allow the jirga.

PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen said a peaceful jirga would be held as scheduled, adding that such gatherings had also concluded peacefully in the past.

“Jirga is our tradition and we will continue to follow the tradition. We are sorry for the young martyrs,” Mr Pashteen said, referring to the three people who lost their lives in clashes with law enforcers in Jamrud earlier this week.

He said the jirga participants would talk about the issues and try to find solutions to the problems.

In reply to a question, Mr Pashteen said PTM is a peaceful movement.

According to an official statement, Mr Gandapur visited the site of the jirga on Friday and was briefed about the security and other arrangements for the event.

The CM directed the administration to take immediate steps for providing all necessary facilities for the jirga.

Water, temporary washrooms, lighting, medical camps and other essential facilities including 5,000 blankets must be provided on a priority basis, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2024