At jirga on Tirah issue, CM Afridi says ‘grand jirga’ to decide date for march on Islamabad

• KP CM addresses peace jirga at Jamrud Sports Complex after Centre–KP blame game intensified over Tirah displacement
• Rejects ‘seasonal migration’ claim of federal govt, calls evacuation forced and alleges federal neglect
• Warns against decisions made ‘behind closed doors,’ vowing billions for displaced families

PESHAWAR/KHYBER: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced on Sunday that he would soon convene a grand jirga to consult stakeholders across the province ahead of a proposed protest march on Islamabad, as tensions escalated over the controversial evacuation of residents from the Tirah Valley.

The chief minister unveiled his plan while addressing a peace jirga at Jamrud Sports Complex in Khyber, which he had announced last Sunday in response to the federal government’s assertion that neither the Centre nor the military had issued any directive for the “depopulation” of the Tirah Valley.

Federal and provincial authorities have since been locked in a blame game over who authorised the evacuation after hundreds of Tirah residents vacated their homes amid fears of an impending military operation. The displacement, carried out under a plan reportedly agreed upon by all stakeholders — including local elders, the provincial government and the military — later turned into a point of contention when displaced families were left stranded in freezing weather under open skies, with alleged administrative mismanagement compounding their plight.

Earlier this week, the federal government maintained that the movement was a routine seasonal migration and reiterated that no military operation was planned in Tirah, further widening the rift between Islamabad and Peshawar.

Addressing the jirga, the KP chief minister asked participants whether they would accompany him on a protest march to Islamabad to register resentment over what he described as “atrocities” against the people of Tirah, their “forced displacement” and the government’s “U-turn on the issue of a military operation”.

Afridi said he would first visit the merged districts to take residents into confidence before convening a grand jirga to formally announce the date of the protest march towards the federal capital.

“We will assert at the grand jirga that only the people are entitled to rule Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it belongs to them, and that decisions taken behind closed doors in Islamabad will no longer be acceptable,” he said amid vociferous sloganeering by an emotionally charged audience.

He declared that “no power on earth” could shake his resolve or buy his conscience as long as he enjoyed the backing of the people. The chief minister alleged that conspiracies were being hatched either to impose governor’s rule in the province or to disqualify him through what he termed “concocted cases”. He further claimed that plans were also being made to “eliminate him” should he refuse to submit to the narrative of his political opponents.

“I have firm faith in God and I am not scared of anyone. I am a tribal and will never retreat from our stated stance on militancy and military operations,” he asserted.

Responding to allegations of misuse of Rs4 billion pledged by the provincial government for displaced Tirah families, Afridi said he would not hesitate to sanction even Rs100 billion if required, accusing the federal government of reneging on its promise to provide a “paltry” Rs400,000 to families displaced during previous military operations.

He vowed “exemplary punishment” for anyone found guilty of irregularities in the utilisation of funds allocated for displaced families.

The chief minister also alleged systematic discrimination against KP, saying: “We are treated as second-class citizens, but I will continue to raise my voice against this injustice. As a soldier of Imran Khan, I know how to secure our rights.”

Afridi announced that he would travel to Islamabad on Monday to meet the prime minister to “plead the case of KP’s rights and secure outstanding dues”.

Terming the federal government’s stance on Tirah displacement “a joke”, he insisted that the people of tribal areas had always made sacrifices for the country and would counter what he called negative propaganda against them.

He claimed the federal government altered its position only after international media highlighted the “actual sufferings” of Tirah residents.

“We have been repeatedly warning about the presence of outlawed militant groups in different parts of KP, particularly Tirah, and the increase in militant activity. But our concerns were ignored until the situation slipped out of control,” he said, warning that conflicting statements on Tirah could erode public confidence in the security establishment.

On the occasion, Afridi also announced the establishment of a provincial relief fund for the poor and needy and appealed to affluent citizens to contribute. The funds, he said, would be distributed among deserving families during Ramazan.

He also condemned the terrorist attacks carried out in different parts of Balochistan on Saturday, expressing solidarity with the people of the province and stating that KP shared the grief of the affected families.

Earlier, provincial minister Meena Khan, MNA Iqbal Afridi, and MPAs Abdul Ghani and Adnan Qadri Aldo delivered hard-hitting speeches, holding the federal government responsible for the hardships faced by displaced Tirah families.

Notably absent from the gathering were members of the jirga of Tirah tribes who had earlier negotiated the evacuation of families from the valley with provincial authorities and security officials.