Jirga proposes formation of unarmed ‘Lashkar’

PESHAWAR: The Pakhtun Qaumi Jirga on Sunday concluded with presenting several proposals, including the formation of a “Pashtun Milli Lashkar,” an unarmed force comprising 3,000 men from each district and political party.

The force would serve as a local defense mechanism, safeguarding Pashtun communities across the region.

The proposals were announced by Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen in his speech at the concluding session of the three-day Jirga. Manzoor Pashteen also proposed the establishment of a committee tasked with overseeing resource extraction across the Pashtun belt that is from Quetta to Chitral and Kohistan.

The committee’s mandate, he said, would be to halt any extraction that did not directly benefit the Pashtun people, ensuring that local resources were used for the betterment of the community. He also addressed the situation in Afghanistan, calling on the Taliban-led government to lift the ban on education of girls. “The Afghan government must allow women to receive education,” he said, emphasizing the importance of education in empowering future generations. The jirga also addressed the issue of extortion with Pashteen assuring attendees that no Pashtun would be forced to pay extortion money. “If any individual is threatened, the entire jirga will stand behind him,” he declared, emphasizing collective action against coercion.

Pashteen called for the removal of undue trade restrictions at key border points, including Torkham, Nawapass, Chaman, and Angoor Adda. He demanded that Pashtuns be allowed to trade freely without unnecessary obstacles. The jirga concluded with a commitment to compile and formalise the proposals discussed, signaling a decisive moment in the pursuit of Pashtun rights and autonomy. While political figures from various parties were present, they refrained from addressing the jirga as a whole. They engaged with attendees in smaller groups at camps. Among them was Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mushtaq Ahmad Khan who addressed the whole event. He declared that the jirga would now be the primary decision-making body for Pashtun matters.