Opposition parties unite on new rights movement in K-P

Grand jirga called for early next month

PESHAWAR: Leaders of all opposition political parties in the province on Tuesday agreed to a 31-point agenda on protecting the rights of Pashtun of the province apart from initiating a unified struggle from a single but representative platform.

This was announced during a joint news conference by the Awami National Party (ANP) Provincial President Aimal Wali Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Provincial General Secretary Attaul Haq Darwish, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Provincial Ameer Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary Ikhtiyar Wali Khan at the Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar on Tuesday.

The leaders agreed to start a movement to protect the rights of Pashtuns in the settled and merged districts of the province. The platform will feature two senior leaders from each party to form a representative bloc.

In the first phase, a jirga of all political leaders of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) will be called early next month at the Bacha Khan Markaz to discuss rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by militancy and subsequent military operations to evict them.

They will also discuss issues of internally displaced people (IDPs) and their repatriation to their native areas. The apparent resurgence of militants in some areas of the province and including the merged areas in the newly formed National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

The jirga will also discuss the holding of local government elections in the province, the release of Rs100 billion under the 10-year package for the newly merged tribal districts and handing over of development works to the elected and civil administration in those areas.

The jirga will also take-up the issue of missing people of the province, the provision of basic facilities such as education, health and other critical infrastructure in the merged districts, clearing mines and militants.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2020.