Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi addresses a jirga in Peshawar on Monday. SCREENSHOT
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday promised that the provincial government would not abandon families displaced from Tirah due to military operations, saying the tribal people had made immense sacrifices for the country.
Addressing a jirga of elders and notables from Peshawar’s Khyber district, Afridi said there was an organized mentality that did not want Pashtuns, especially tribal communities, to be part of the national mainstream. “The mindset that has been formed against us for 75 years does not recognize our existence,” he said.
The chief minister said that soon after his election, what he described as misleading and negative propaganda was launched against him. Terming such actions as unfortunate against an elected chief minister, Afridi said public support had helped him overcome “any negative talk”.
“I promised my people I would give them the pen instead of the gun,” he said. “We will be on the front lines to defend the country and will not hesitate to make the slightest sacrifice. When my nation is going through a difficult time, I am by its side like a rock.”
Afridi credited incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan for creating political consciousness among the people, saying he helped the public distinguish between truth and hypocrisy. He added that the entire nation was united in supporting the displaced people of Tirah.
Read: Operation Tirah motivated by politics (Afridi)
The chief minister said there was a consensus among political parties and schools of thought in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that military operations were not a solution. “We want the elimination of terrorism. We are a peace-loving people and want the restoration of peace,” he said. “After 22 major operations and 14,000 small operations, what guarantee do we now have that peace can be established?
Afridi said decisions taken behind closed doors and imposed on Tirah would not yield any results. “Decisions are being made without giving confidence to the provincial government. If we had been consulted, the nation would have been taken into confidence and the work would have been done by consensus,” he said, asserting that the operation was launched by force, coercion and hooliganism.
During the jirga, the elders discussed the law and order situation in Khyber district and the difficulties faced by the displaced families. They presented suggestions to restore peace and ensure dignified resettlement of Tirah-affected people. The chief minister directed officials to provide all possible facilities to the displaced families.
Learn more: Thousands displaced as Tirah crisis deepens
On Saturday, Afridi had criticized Operation Tirah in a post on
“Tirah is my home. Its people belong to me,” he said, adding that the current actions were a failed attempt to alienate the local population from him due to his tough stance on the issue.
