PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has urged the leadership of the banned Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) to take part in parliamentary politics and highlight all their issues in parliament.

“Today, PTM is holding protests. We do not disagree with this approach and want PTM to do parliamentary politics and ensure their demands conform to the Constitution,” Mr Kundi told reporters at the Governor’s House on Friday.

He said that his party, Pakistan Peoples Party, was banned and its leadership was martyred but it never shouted slogans against the state and carried out a political struggle to advance its cause.

The governor said PTM’s constitutional demands would be accepted but there shouldn’t be anti-state slogans or the display of some other country’s flags in protests. He said the province faced a crisis, which was fast worsening.

“We asked the Afghan government not to allow its soil’s use against Pakistan but it didn’t respond to it positively,” he said.

Mr Kundi said such a response was unfair though Pakistan hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades.

When asked if talks could be held with any banned organisation, he said anyone who followed the Constitution could be engaged.

The governor said the government would lift the ban on PTM after following proper procedures. He said though there were political differences between PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the two parties would always join hands for resolving issues of the province.

Mr Kundi said that positive developments regarding tensions in the province were seen in the last 24 hours.

He said the official jirga on Thursday, which was called on the request of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, discussed several issues in detail and in a pleasant atmosphere.

The governor appreciated the role of Speaker of the provincial assembly Babar Saleem Swati for role in the holding of the jirga and praised interior minister Mohsin Naqvi for accepting all demands.

He said the interior minister agreed to accept future suggestions of the same committee comprising parliamentary leaders of political parties in KP Assembly.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2024