Jirga formed to talk to Mir Ali protesters

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday formed a jirga to hold talks with the demonstrators in Mir Ali area protesting for the last four weeks against the killing of members of Dawar and Wazir tribes, after his meeting with National Democratic Movement chief MNA Moshin Dawar, who informed the premier about the gravity of the situation as well as the overall scenario in his constituency of North Waziristan.

The 16-member jirga, announced by Defence Minister Khawaja, would comprise officials from the multi-party alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The jirga would be headed by Leader of the Opposition in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Akram Khan Durrani.

A declaration issued under the signature of defence minister read that leading members of all political parties (except the PTI) would hold a discussion for peace with the elders of North Waziristan. First, the members of the jirga would hold an important meeting at Durrani’s residence in Bannu on August 12 at 10am, after which they will go to Mir Ali in North Waziristan to meet the participants of the sit-in and find a permanent and lasting solution to their problems.

It added that members of all political parties and various organisations at the provincial level would also participate in the jirga so that a proper and long-term solution to the demands of the people and elders of North Waziristan could be found.

For this purpose, the names of prominent leaders of political parties including Akram Khan Durrani and Maulana Attaur Rahman of the JUI-F; Amir Maqam and Murtaza Javed Abbasi of the PML-N, Aimal Wali Kkhanof the ANP; Najamuddin Khan and Faisal Karim Kundi of the PPP; Sikandar Khan Sherpao of the Qaumi Watan Party; Abdullah Nangyal of the NDM; Advocate Haider Khan of PkMAP; Mukhtiar Bacha of the National Party ( Bizenjo Group); Fayaz Khan of the JUI-Pakistan Noorani Group); Dr Zakir Shah of the Ahle Hadees Sajid Mir Group; Maulana Ataul Haque Darwish of the JUI-Pakistan; and Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan of the Jamaat-e-Islami are included.

However, no reaction has come from Atmanzai tribes in this regard because mobile signal and internet have been suspended in the area since a day earlier.

It may be recalled that for the past four weeks, the Atmanzai tribes have started a protest in the area for peace and against targeted killings, in which all the connecting roads and markets have been closed, due to which life has practically been paralysed.