Jamrud (HRNW)- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has announced that he will head to Islamabad to seek the legitimate rights of the province and its people, while consultative jirgas will also be held in other tribal districts before taking the final step.
Addressing the Grand Peace Jirga held in the Jamrud city of Khyber district, the Chief Minister said that consultative jirgas will be organized in all tribal districts to gather collective opinion. Afterward, a joint Grand Jirga of all tribal districts will be convened to decide the future course of action. He made it clear that decisions taken behind closed doors will not be accepted and this message will be conveyed clearly in Islamabad.
Muhammad Sohail Afridi said that no compromise will be made on the rights of the province and its people, adding that even the wealth of the entire world cannot bargain with their conscience. He stated that the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had improved from 2018 to 2022, but after the removal of the elected government of Imran Khan through what he termed a regime change operation, terrorism was once again imposed on the province.
He said that the provincial government repeatedly warned about the deteriorating situation, but these warnings were ignored. The Chief Minister said that initially it was claimed that terrorists were in the mountains, then in the valleys, and eventually they reached people’s homes, forcing them at gunpoint to provide food. He questioned how terrorists managed to reach residential areas and where the security mechanisms were at that time.
The Chief Minister further stated that drone attacks on homes led to the martyrdom of innocent civilians in Tirah, including a young girl, and protesters were also fired upon. He said that these actions were aimed at paving the way for a military operation. He added that despite snowfall warnings and repeated objections, the people of Tirah were forcibly displaced and misleading impressions were given through official statements.
Muhammad Sohail Afridi said that while tribal people continue to make sacrifices for Pakistan, baseless propaganda is being spread against them. He emphasized that wrong policies, not tribal people, are the root cause of terrorism.
Explaining the provincial government’s allocation of Rs 4 billion for Tirah victims, he said that although this was the responsibility of the federation, the provincial government is fulfilling it from its own resources. He also reminded that promises made to displaced persons during previous operations have not been fulfilled, while the provincial government has already paid more than Rs 7 billion. He added that Rs 52 billion is still owed by the federation to IDPs and a total of Rs 4,758 billion is due to the province.
The Chief Minister announced the opening of a Chief Minister Relief Account for the victims and said the registration process will be accelerated to ensure timely assistance. He also confirmed receiving an invitation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks on provincial rights, where he will strongly present the case of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He expressed deep sorrow over recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and said that the KP government strongly condemns these attacks and stands in solidarity with the families of the martyrs.
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