KHYBER: The Pashtun National Jirga has announced the formation of a legal committee to make recommendations for a “new social contract to secure legitimate, constitutional rights” for Pakhtuns.

The announcement was made by head of the proscribed Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) Manzoor Pashteen after the maiden meeting of an 87-member PNJ core committee in Jamrud here.

The development comes a month after the final PNJ declaration was issued at the end of the Oct 11-13 jirga held under the auspices of the PTM in Jamrud.

Accompanied by the core committee members at the residence of Malik Naseer Ahmad Kukikhel on Wednesday evening, Mr Pashteen said the legal committee comprising representatives of political parties along with legal experts would present recommendations to the core committee for the formulation of the ‘new social contract.’

PTM head says ‘unfulfilled’ promises to be taken up with CM

He said that the PNJ would later take the entire Pakhtun nation into confidence regarding the implementation of those recommendations while also devising a strategy to bring about suitable changes to the Constitution.

The legal committee will also look into the legality of the 25th Constitutional Amendment through which the former status of the tribal districts (Fata) was abolished and it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Some core committee members told Dawn that it was after fierce deliberations and heated discussions that the legal status of the Fata merger was included in the domain of the newly-formed legal committee.

Mr Pashteen said the core committee also took serious exception to the ISPR chief’s assertion that natural resources in Pakhtun areas were neither given to Pakhtuns in dowry nor had they any inherited rights over those resources.

“For sure, these natural resources are our rightful inheritance as the Almighty Allah has gifted it to us and no power on earth could snatch these resources from us,” he declared, warning that nobody would be allowed to plunder these resources.

The PTM chief announced the holding of a series of jirgas and public meetings in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakhtun-dominated areas of Balochistan to take the local population into confidence about the determination of electricity price in the regions.

He said that dates and venues for these jirgas and public meetings would be announced by the PNJ regional core committee members in consultations with local supporters and sympathizers.

Mr Pashteen said another 13-member committee was formed to go to Kurram and help create an environment of peace while holding meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders in devising a workable plan for restoration of lasting peace in the region.

Expressing displeasure with the provincial government’s “failure to honour its commitment to fulfilling the final PNJ declaration announced on October 13,” Mr Pashteen said another committee would soon meet the chief minister to remind him of his unfulfilled promises.

He announced the formation of a legal team saying it will establish offices in Peshawar, Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi to extend free legal assistance to those affected by militancy and military operations in Pakhtun areas.

“We will also establish contacts with all the major political parties in order to align them with the PNJ for winning legal and constitutional rights for Pakhtuns,” he said.

Sources told Dawn that the venue and timing of the core committee’s first meeting was kept a secret until the last moment and only its members were informed about it through WhatsApp messages.

They also said the presence of controversial religious figure Mufti Munir Shakir and later his inclusion in a peace committee for Kurram irked many participants.

Some participants took Mr Pashteen to task for his announcement about the pullout of the army and Taliban from the Pakhtun region in two months’ time in the final PNJ declaration.

Sources said that Pashteen remained silent on the issue and didn’t mention that demand in his Wednesday press talk.

They said that the meeting started at midday and lasted until midnight on Wednesday with most participants looking completely exhausted due to prolonged and heated debates on a number of thorny issues.

At the end, the PNJ also announced the holding of protest demonstrations on Nov 21 in all districts against the arrest of some active members and their “unlawfulimplication in false cases.”

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2024