Centre to join K-P peace jirga on Nov 12

Speaker Swati says provincial govt opposes military operation

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government will hold a peace jirga on November 12 to address the deteriorating security situation in the province, with the federal government accepting its invitation to participate.

Announcing the jirga at a press conference with local Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in Peshawar on Thursday, K-P Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati reiterated that no new military operation would be permitted in the province.

Flanked by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Shafi Jan, PTI's K-P Secretary Ali Asghar, and other leaders, Swati said the assembly had debated the law and order situation for two months and concluded that further conflict would only deepen local suffering.

"The province's peace and security situation is troubling, but any decision will be made with our consent," Swati said, adding that all political parties in the province had agreed to form a parliamentary security committee and convene an all-parties peace jirga.

"We have decided to sit with the officials after the jirga to ensure the people's concerns are addressed," he added. Swati emphasised that no political voice would be silenced, saying the provincial government wanted to "bridge the gap between institutions and the people".

He said that representatives of all political parties, civil society, lawyers, and the media would be invited. "Our people have suffered in every operation - this time, their voices must shape the way forward," he stated.

Shafi Jan said maintaining peace was the government's biggest challenge. He confirmed that the K-P governor and all political leaders would be invited to the November 12 jirga and that the parliamentary security committee's terms of reference (ToRs) would incorporate proposals from all parties.

Ali Asghar said this jirga, unlike previous ones, was being led by the speaker to ensure cross-party engagement. "We have come to extend the invitation to all parties because the province's security concerns affect everyone," he said, adding that "operations only displace residents and deepen suffering".

PTI's Peshawar Region Secretary Sher Ali said previous operations had failed to produce lasting peace. "This time, decisions must be made in the interest of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," he asserted, calling for collective wisdom in policymaking.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam said in Islamabad that the federal government had accepted the PTI's invitation to join the jirga. He made the announcement during a joint press conference with senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser.

"We have conveyed our requests to the federal government and are grateful that they accepted our invitation," Qaiser said, calling for a unified policy framework to ensure lasting stability. Muqam said the federal government would participate "in the spirit of cooperation and unity".

Qaiser later confirmed through social media that his delegation had also met the Awami National Party (ANP) leadership, inviting them to the jirga. ANP's K-P President, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, said his party would consult internally before confirming participation.

(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)