Delegates attend a peace jirga convened by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government at the provincial assembly in Peshawar. Photo: PPI
PESHAWAR:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s political and civic leaders on Wednesday called for a united, politics-free approach to fighting terrorism and ensuring the province’s constitutional and fiscal rights, as a multi-party peace jirga met in Peshawar to work out a joint strategy.
In a rare show of unity, leaders from across the political spectrum called for an inclusive and permanent counterterrorism policy that transcends party lines and prioritizes the security and rights of the province.
The peace jirga strongly condemned terrorism and called for a comprehensive strategy to restore peace in the province.
In a joint statement, the jirga urged the KP government to take the provincial assembly into confidence on anti-terrorism measures and entrust internal and security responsibilities to the police and the Anti-Terrorism Department.
The jirga also recommended eliminating unnecessary security checkpoints and curbing the illegal transportation of minerals from the province and other conflict-affected areas.
He further called for reopening of Pakistan-Afghanistan trade routes, formulation of Pak-Afghan foreign policy in consultation with the KP government and development of a new National Action Plan (NAP) in coordination with the provincial government and the assembly.
Speaking at the provincial assembly jirga, Chief Minister Suhail Khan Afridi said the cost of two decades of militancy could be counted in lives and sacrifices, adding that the time had come to overcome party differences and adopt a single long-term policy.
He urged the Federal Government to adopt a new approach to combating terrorism that involves all stakeholders in decision-making. “I hope that a lasting and permanent solution to this terrorist menace, which has plagued Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for over 20 years, will be found,” he said.
Afridi stressed that the era of “decisions behind closed doors” must end. “We must come out of closed doors, consider others as intelligent, consider politicians as wise.”
He warned against short-term solutions, insisting on a “once and for all” policy to eradicate terrorism from the province.
Afridi warned that bombs do not check voters’ party cards and stressed that lasting peace was only possible after the elimination of terrorism.
He called on all political parties to unite for the rights of the province, saying KP’s legitimate share under the NFC stands at Rs 6.14 billion and, after including the newly merged tribal districts, a share of 19 percent.
However, he deplored that the province is not receiving what it is owed. Afridi added that the NFC’s share amounts to Rs400 billion and argued that the federal government owes KP Rs200 billion in net profit from the hydel industry.
He protested the province’s “stepmotherly” treatment, adding that short-term solutions must give way to a “once and for all” policy.
On Afghanistan, Afridi welcomed the talks and urged that war remain a last resort, noting that Pakistan and Afghanistan share many values and that a peaceful Afghanistan was essential for regional connectivity, peace and prosperity.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, also addressing the jirga and sitting alongside the chief minister, supported the call for collective action.
“If we don’t sit down together, no solution will emerge,” he said.
He commended the speaker for bringing all stakeholders under one roof and urged him to form a multi-stakeholder committee to ensure that the recommendations of the jirga continue to be implemented.
Kundi stressed that the future of the province should take precedence over political rivalries. “Every few years a superpower comes and tries to conquer Afghanistan, and when it leaves after a failure, it leaves behind its filth in the form of weapons that are used against us,” he said.
He warned that the terroirs were now equipped with advanced weapons such as thermal sniper rifles, adding that the province did not have the capacity to counter them alone. “We must put aside our politics and think about the prosperity of our province,” he insisted.
Kundi urged provincial, federal and security institutions to sit together to find lasting solutions and recommended the formation of a committee with a representative from each party to advance the cause of the province.
He stressed the need to guide the youth in the right direction and said the provincial government would support efforts to ensure KP’s due share.
Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser echoed Afridi’s call for unity and diplomacy, saying Pakistan must engage in dialogue with Kabul.
“Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot survive without each other,” he said. “There will be peace in Pakistan once there is peace in Afghanistan.”
PML-N’s Ibadullah Khan, Leader of Opposition in the KP Assembly, noted that the jirga was being held for the first time in the Provincial Legislative Assembly. “We have put aside myriad differences and are sitting with the PTI,” he said, calling terrorism the province’s “number one problem”.
Meanwhile, ANP’s Mian Iftikhar Hussain rejected any distinction between the “good” and “bad” Taliban, adding that only full implementation of the National Action Plan could restore peace.
“The government needs to take ownership of this problem,” he said. “The ANP faced militancy with courage. We spoke, we fought and we rehabilitated the displaced people.”
Former chief minister Mehmood Khan, now the head of the PTI parliamentarians, questioned the fate of past peace jirgas. “You are the government. People have given you the mandate. You must sit down with key stakeholders and form a jirga to talk with the federal government,” he said.
Other participants included JI leaders Sirajul Haq, Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim, Akhunzada Chattan of PPP, JUI-F senators Maulana Attaur Rehman and Maulana Attaul Haq Dervesh, and representatives of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Mazdoor Kisan Party of Pakistan.
The jirga opened with prayers for victims of terrorism across the province.
