Government and opposition unite against civilian victims of terrorism and drone warfare
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Photo:X
In a rare show of political unity, a joint jirga led by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday unanimously condemned the ongoing drone strikes in tribal districts, deciding to convene a series of rallies on the issue.
The jirga, which included government and opposition MPs representing tribal districts, was informed that incessant drone attacks continued to cause repeated civilian casualties and damage to local properties.
Participants agreed that the current situation was no longer tolerable, with innocent lives lost to terrorism and drone strikes. They agreed to hold a special session of the provincial assembly on Thursday, a cabinet meeting on Friday and a grand tribal jirga at the chief minister’s house on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering, CM Afridi said civilian deaths due to terrorism and drone attacks were unacceptable. “People in tribal areas cannot be made to pay double price for their lives,” he said. “Neither terrorism nor the deaths of civilians in drone strikes can be justified. »
The jirga rejected the recurring pattern of civilian deaths being seen as mistakes. MEPs said the targeting of innocent citizens under the pretext of mistakes must immediately stop.
“Despite modern technology, the continued loss of innocent lives due to so-called errors is unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances,” Afridi added. “Apologies cannot compensate for the lives lost. The damage is irreparable.”
Read: The Jirga demands an end to border hostilities
The chief minister announced postponement of his visit to Lahore in light of the situation. He warned that the province cannot afford more instability, stressing that “decision makers must understand that the blood of our people costs dear.”
It was revealed during the jirga that Rs26 billion had been allocated to the Counter Terrorism Department and Special Branch this year to further strengthen the province’s capacity against terrorism.
The jirga concluded with consensus to adopt a common strategy transcending political affiliations, committing to unified action against terrorism and extrajudicial drone strikes.
