KHYBER (MNN); Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday announced that he would soon convene a grand jirga comprising stakeholders from across the province to deliberate on a proposed protest march towards Islamabad.
The announcement was made during a peace jirga held at Jamrud Sports Complex in Khyber, which the chief minister had called last week in response to the federal government’s assertion that neither the Centre nor the military had ordered the “de-population” of Tirah Valley.
Tensions have persisted between the federal and provincial governments over who authorised the evacuation of Tirah Valley, after hundreds of residents left their homes amid fears of a possible military operation. Although the relocation was carried out under a plan agreed upon by local elders, the provincial government and the military, the situation became controversial when displaced families were left exposed to harsh weather conditions, with alleged mismanagement worsening their plight.
Earlier, the federal government maintained that the movement of people was part of routine seasonal migration and insisted that no military operation was planned in Tirah.
Addressing the jirga, CM Afridi asked participants whether they would join him in a protest march to Islamabad to voice anger over what he termed atrocities against the people of Tirah, their forced displacement and the government’s shifting stance on a possible military operation.
He said he would visit the merged districts to take residents into confidence before calling a grand jirga, after which a date for the march would be announced. Afridi said the grand jirga would assert that the people alone had the right to rule Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and that decisions taken behind closed doors in Islamabad were no longer acceptable.
The chief minister said no power could shake his resolve or buy his conscience if he enjoyed the support of the people. He alleged that conspiracies were being hatched to impose governor’s rule in the province, disqualify him through fabricated cases or even eliminate him if he refused to accept the narrative of his political rivals.
He said he had unwavering faith in God and, as a tribal person, would not retreat from his stance on militancy and military operations.
Responding to allegations of misuse of Rs4 billion allocated for displaced Tirah families, Afridi said he would not hesitate to approve even Rs100 billion if required, accusing the federal government of reneging on its promise to provide Rs400,000 per family to those displaced by earlier operations. He vowed strict punishment for anyone found guilty of misusing relief funds.
Claiming discrimination against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief minister said the province was treated as having second-class citizens, but vowed to continue raising his voice for its rights as a follower of Imran Khan. He added that he would travel to Islamabad on Monday to meet the prime minister to press for KP’s rights and recover outstanding dues.
Afridi dismissed the federal government’s position on Tirah as “a joke” and said tribal people had always made sacrifices for the country and would counter negative propaganda against them. He claimed the federal stance changed only after international media highlighted the suffering of Tirah residents.
He warned that conflicting statements on Tirah could erode public confidence in the security establishment. He also announced the creation of a provincial relief fund for the poor and needy, appealing to affluent citizens to contribute, with distributions planned during Ramazan.
The chief minister condemned recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and expressed solidarity with the affected families, saying the people of KP shared their grief.
Earlier, provincial minister Meena Khan, MNA Iqbal Afridi and MPAs Abdul Ghani and Adnan Qadri criticised the federal government, holding it responsible for the hardships faced by displaced Tirah families. Notably absent were members of the Tirah tribes’ jirga that had negotiated the evacuation with provincial authorities and security officials.
