• 3,000 volunteers from each district to look after security
• Demands free electricity for tribal districts
• Seeks free movement at border with Afghanistan

KHYBER: The jirga organised by newly-banned Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement asked army and militants to leave Pashtun-inhabited areas within two months, warning to chalk out next line of action if either of the sides did not heed its call.

The three day moot was also attended by representatives of several political parties including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur attended the concluding ceremony where charter of demands was presented.

The demand for withdrawal of military and militants, apparently from tribal districts, was the main highlight of the concluding ceremony of the jirga. It, however, did not elaborate as to who would furnish security guarantees in case army withdrew to its barracks and whether militants too would abide by its demand.

The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has so far not responded to the demand. The chief minister, while responding to a question by a journalist, tried to avoid endorsing the demand, saying military was not in the tribal region on its own volition as it was invited by provincial government to help restore writ of the state.

He was referring to Action in Aid of Civil Power, the law that enables the provincial government to request military for help.

Manzoor Pashteen, the chief of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, while announcing the final declaration of the jirga before midnight on Sunday, said that a tribal Lashkar, though unarmed and comprising 3,000 volunteers from every Pashtun district would be raised to look after security of the region and help resolve tribal disputes.

Reading out the final declaration in front of thousands of his supporters, he demanded of federal government to revive the British-era mutual trading with Afghanistan via the border along with visa free movement of Pashtuns between the two neighbouring countries as was accepted and agreed since the British India era.

He called upon Pashtuns to stop paying extortion to any armed group or organisation. He said that residents of tribal districts should be provided with free and uninterrupted electricity while the rest of Pashtuns should be charged Rs5 for one unit of power.

“We will cut off power supply to other provinces if we are not given subsidy on the electricity produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Mr Pashteen declared amidst thunderous applause from the crowd.

Demanding complete authority over natural resources, he also demanded due share in electricity royalty and compiling of detailed data about various mineral resources on the Pashtun soil. He said that a team of lawyers would contest cases of the Pashtun martyrs and illegal occupation over their personal or family properties.

He said that as per the final declaration, peace committees would be formed at district level to settle local disputes between Pashtun tribes.

Mr Pashteen also threatened that Pashtuns as a nation would return their identity cards if all the blocked cards of the so-called Pashtun suspects were not restored.

The jirga declaration called for an immediate return of all the remaining displaced families to their respective areas along with immediate repeal of Action in Aid to Civil Powers regulation in tribal districts.

“Army shall abide by its constitutional obligation to refrain for indulging in politics,” the declaration said while also demanding release of all the political prisoners.

Mr Pashteen said that the jirga would respond in a befitting manner if any action was taken by any government institution against the banned PTM organisation, its volunteers, sympathisers and well wishers.

The jirga delegates through the joint declaration demanded formation of a judicial commission to investigate killing of all Pashtuns, who lost their lives during the last two decades of militancy and military operations.

Mr Pashteen asked all the delegates to organise demonstrations in every district in support of complete implementation of the jirga declaration.

Earlier, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also addressed the gathering. At the start of his speech, when someone on the stage, replaced his white turban with a Pashteen cap, the crowd erupted into chants of “Pashtun, Pashtun.

He termed the day as historic. He said that after the jirga passed its resolution, he as a chief minister would see how they could resolve the issues discussed there. “We will see how to do it and to put pressure and which platforms to use for this purpose,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024