KP Government Holds Major Peace Jirga Amid Terror Surge

  The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has convened a major peace jirga at the provincial assembly to review the law and order situation amid a recent surge in terrorist activities in the province. According to details, during a previous jirga held on October 25 in Khyber District, Chief Minister Suhail Afridi had warned against initiating any new military operations in the tribal districts. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is attending the jirga on the invitation of the provincial government, and representatives from the federal government are also expected to participate. Leaders from the Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) are participating in the discussions. The session is being chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, with the objective of developing strategies for restoring peace and eliminating militancy in the province. Opposition Leader in the KP Assembly, Abadullah Khan of PML-N, is also attending the meeting.

Historic KPK Peace Jirga Convenes Amid Terror Attacks — Leaders Unite to Restore Order

Addressing the jirga, Chief Minister Afridi welcomed all participants from various political and social backgrounds. He expressed hope that the jirga would help devise a sustainable solution to eradicate terrorism, stating, “We repeatedly speak about peace, but unfortunately, some people are not peace-minded.” Speaker Babar Saleem Swati highlighted, “While there is no doubt about our brave armed forces, one wonders why peace has not yet been achieved despite ongoing intelligence operations.” Among other participants are ANP Provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain, former JI Emir Siraj-ul-Haq, delegations from JUI-F, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, former Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, former Governor Shaukatullah Khan, Afzal Shah Khamosh (Chairman of Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party), lawyers, and representatives of various communities. Former provincial minister Kamran Khan Bangash wrote before the session: “Attacks in Bannu, Wana, and Islamabad before the jirga are a conspiracy to sabotage the peace process. Peace enemies will fail because peace is our future.” The jirga comes in the wake of a recent wave of terrorist attacks nationwide, including a suicide attack in Islamabad that killed 12 people. Security remains a major concern in KP as well, following a bomb attack yesterday in Daraban, Dera Ismail Khan, targeting a security convoy and injuring at least 14 personnel. On Monday, a terrorist attack occurred at Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan. While all students and teachers were safely evacuated and all terrorists inside the building were neutralized, three people were killed during the clearance operation. Parliamentary leader of PPP, Ahmed Kareem Kundi, praised the decision to convene the peace jirga, calling it a crucial step to address the province’s deteriorating law and order situation. He noted that while political parties have organized peace jirgas before, this is the first time a jirga has been held in the provincial assembly representing the province’s 40 million people. According to JUI-F spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan, provincial Emir Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman and provincial General Secretary Senator Maulana Atta-ul-Haq Darwish were expected to represent the party at the jirga. From Jamaat-e-Islami, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and former senior minister Inayatullah Khan were slated to attend.