KP Assembly speaker calls meeting on PTM jirga

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has convened a meeting of the Full House Committee on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) Jirga at the Assembly Hall today (Tuesday) at 2:00 PM.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will chair the meeting, which will include members from both the treasury and opposition benches, as well as representatives of the PTM. The Special Committee of the House was constituted by the speaker ahead of the Pakhtun Qaumi Adalat (Jirga) on October 10, 2024.

This action followed an incident in the Khyber district where law enforcement agencies allegedly disrupted Jirga arrangements, resulting in the deaths of at least four PTM activists and injuries to more than a dozen others during firing. On Monday, the speaker informed the House that the PTM had provided a list of 63 representatives and a charter of demands to be presented at the Full House Committee meeting on Tuesday (January 7).

In related proceedings, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a resolution advocating for the establishment of Foreign Affairs Regional Offices at the divisional level within the province. The move aims to address the challenges faced by students and applicants from remote areas, who currently have to travel to Peshawar to get their documents attested at the lone center. The assembly also approved a resolution calling for the permanent appointment of physiotherapists in public sector hospitals. Additionally, the chairman of the Special Committee investigating the October 2024 incident at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad presented a report to the House. The report estimated a loss of approximately Rs 30 million to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, including damage to moveable and immovable properties during a police raid on October 5, 2024.

The report revealed that during the raid, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s M-4 rifle (valued at Rs 2.5 million), an iPhone (worth Rs 600,000), a bulletproof jacket, and an expensive pair of glasses went missing. Additionally, weapons worth Rs 4 million reportedly disappeared, while rooms, window panes, and other properties were damaged or lost. The session was adjourned until Monday, January 13.