K-P jirga urges inclusive strategy against terror

In rare show of unity, leaders from across political spectrum attend caucus

PESHAWAR:

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's political and civic leadership on Wednesday urged a politics-free, united approach to tackle terrorism and secure the province's constitutional and fiscal rights, as a multi-party peace jirga met in Peshawar to map out a common strategy.

In a rare show of unity, leaders from across the political spectrum called for an inclusive and permanent counterterrorism policy that transcends party lines and prioritises the province's security and rights.

The peace jirga strongly condemned terrorism and called for a comprehensive strategy to restore peace in the province.

In a joint declaration, the jirga urged the K-P government to take the provincial assembly into confidence on counterterrorism measures and to assign internal and security responsibilities to the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department.

The jirga also recommended eliminating unnecessary security check-posts and curbing illegal transportation of minerals from the province and other conflict-hit areas.

It further called for reopening Pakistan-Afghanistan trade routes, formulating the Pak-Afghan foreign policy in consultation with the K-P government, and drafting a new National Action Plan (NAP) in coordination with the provincial government and assembly.

Speaking at the jirga in the provincial assembly, Chief Minister Suhail Khan Afridi said the cost of two decades of militancy can be counted in lives and sacrifice, adding that the time has come to rise above party differences and adopt a single, long-term policy.

He urged the federal government to adopt a new approach to counterterrorism that involves all stakeholders in decision-making. "I expect that a durable and permanent solution to this menace of terrorism, which has been eating away at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for more than 20 years, will be found," he said.

Afridi stressed that the era of "closed-door decisions" must end. "We must come out of the closed rooms, consider other individuals intelligent, consider politicians as wise."

He warned against short-term fixes, insisting on a "once and for all" policy to eradicate terrorism from the province.

Afridi warned that bombs do not check voters' party cards, and stressed that sustainable peace was only possible after the elimination of terrorism.

He appealed to all political parties to stand together for the province's rights, saying that K-P's rightful share under the NFC comes to Rs6.14 billion and, after including the newly merged tribal districts, a 19 per cent share.

However, he lamented that the province was not receiving its due. Afridi added that the NFC share amounts to Rs400 billion and argued that the federal government owes K-P Rs200 billion in net hydel profit.

He protested the "step-mother" treatment of the province, adding that short-term fixes must give way to a "once-for-all" policy.

Regarding Afghanistan, Afridi welcomed talks and urged that war remain a last resort, noting Pakistan and Afghanistan share many values and that a peaceful Afghanistan was essential for regional connectivity, peace and prosperity.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, also addressing the jirga and seated alongside the chief minister, backed the call for collective action.

"If we don't sit together, no solution will emerge," he said.

He congratulated the speaker for gathering all stakeholders under one roof and urged him to form a multi-party committee to ensure the jirga's recommendations continue to be pursued.

Kundi stressed the province's future should take precedence over political rivalries. "Every few years, a superpower comes and tries to conquer Afghanistan, and when it leaves after failing, it leaves behind its filth in the form of weapons, which are used against us," he said.

He warned that terroirsts were now equipped with advanced weapons such as thermal sniper rifles, adding that the province lacked the capacity to counter them alone. "We must set aside our politics and think about our province's prosperity," he urged.

Kundi urged provincial, federal and security institutions to sit together to find durable solutions and recommended forming a committee with one representative from each party to carry forward the province's case.

He stressed the need to channel youth in the right direction and said the provincial government would stand with efforts to secure K-P's rightful share.

Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser echoed Afridi's call for unity and diplomacy, saying Pakistan must engage Kabul through dialogue.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot survive without each other," he said. "There will be peace in Pakistan once there is peace in Afghanistan."

PML-N's Ibadullah Khan, the opposition leader in the K-P Assembly, noted that the jirga was being held in the provincial legislature for the first time. "We have set aside a myriad of differences and are sitting with the PTI," he said, calling terrorism the province's "number one issue".

Meanwhile, ANP's Mian Iftikhar Hussain rejected any distinction between "good" and "bad" Taliban, adding that only a complete implementation of the National Action Plan could restore peace.

"The government must own this problem," he said. "The ANP faced militancy bravely. We talked, we fought, and we rehabilitated the displaced people."

Former chief minister Mehmood Khan, now heading PTI-Parliamentarians, questioned the fate of past peace jirgas. "You are the government. People gave you the mandate. You must sit with the key stakeholders and form a jirga to talk to the federal government," he said.

Other attendees included JI leaders Sirajul Haq, Prof Mohammad Ibrahim, PPP's Akhunzada Chattan, JUI-F senators Maulana Attaur Rehman and Maulana Attaul Haq Dervesh, and representatives of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party.

The jirga opened with prayers for victims of terrorism across the province.