PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday announced that all demands of the Pashtun Qaumi Jirga regarding the province would be reviewed and acted upon.

During a provincial assembly session, the chief minister said the jirga, held by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement in Jamrud area of Khyber tribal district, forwarded a 22-point agenda, which would be thoroughly discussed in the house by both the treasury and opposition members.

“I declare that all matters related to the province will not only be completely discussed but will also be fully implemented,” he told the sitting, which was chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Mr Gandapur said that it was the KP assembly that took the first significant step for the resolution of the province’s issues.

Opposition in PA assures govt of support on law and order issue

He criticised federal government over police action against PTM activists in Jamrud on Oct 10, insisting the action claimed four lives and left 10 injured.

The chief minister expressed gratitude to the house’s committee for helping ease tensions in Jamrud after the police’s crackdown on PTM.

He said founder of his party PTI and former prime minister, Imran Khan, had always opposed foreign conflicts on Pakistani soil as they turned mujahideen into militants, who fought against the Pakistani state.

Mr Gandapur said as a national institution, armed forces were answerable to the government and they couldn’t carry out any military operation for peace without the government’s approval.

He said peace could be ensured in a region only if authorities consulted residents.

The chief minister called for the formation of an assembly committee comprising both treasury and opposition members to resolve land dispute in Kurram tribal district to ease tensions.

Earlier, the opposition appreciated the provincial and federal governments for “timely intervention” to resolve the controversy surrounding PTM jirga.

Leader of the Opposition Dr Ibadullah said the state made a peace deal with those, who killed schoolchildren and carried out bomb blasts across the country, so why talks couldn’t be held with those who highlighted people’s issues without resorting to violence.

He said dialogue should be prioritised over the use of force to resolve issues.

Dr Ibadullah appreciated political parties for supporting and attending the PTM Jirga without violating the Constitution and praised the PTM leadership for keeping its commitments regarding the Jamrud gathering.

He assured the government of the opposition’s support for addressing the province’s challenges, especially th​e poor law and order situation

Member of the opposition PPP Ahmad Karim Kundi said the Oct 10 multi-party gathering at the Chief Minister’s House led the PTM jirga into a peaceful event, showing the significance of parliamentary power.

He said the government could take majority decisions only, but unanimous decisions were always more powerful and lasting.

“We will agree to the PTM’s all constitutional demands regarding mines, missing persons, net hydel profit, and natural gas, but anything, which is in conflict with the Constitution, will not be acceptable,” he said.

MPA of the opposition ANP Arbab Usman said the proper utilisation of natural resources from merged tribal districts promised national development.​

He said peace in the tribal re​gion was imperative for peace in other parts of the country.

“We [opposition] will stand with the government for sustainable peace and prosperity,” he said.

Member of the opposition PML-N Rashad Khan demanded the lifting of a ban on the PTM, saying the rights movement never took up arms and always advocated for its cause peacefully.

He also urged the PTM leadership to extend its deadline for the withdrawal of armed forces from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Khan called for the opening of more Pak-Afghan border crossings to the benefit of people from both countries.

He also demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners, including PTI founder Imran Khan.

JUI-F lawmaker Maulana Lutfur Rehman said the province faced a law and order challenge and said peace was imperative for economic development.

He said political instability, caused by the controversial general elections, was also contributing to the situation.

Another member of the JUI-F Adnan Khan questioned the need for a ban on PTM and said it was an unjust and undemocratic move by the federal government.

He urged the PTI government to request the courts to vacate stay orders granted to it in 2019 Article 245 of the Constitution.

Member of the opposition ANP Nisar Baaz insisted that all PTM demands conformed to the Constitution, with the federal and provincial leadership agreeing to them.

He said many issues, including enforced disappearances and closure of trade routes with Afghanistan, stemmed from the poor law and order situation.

“Our youth are fed up with this situation,” he said.

The lawmaker said the issues regarding provincial resources, blocked identity cards and law and order could be addressed by upholding parliamentary supremacy.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024