Jirga demands peace in Bara and Tirah Valley

BARA: A jirga convened by the Bara Siyasi Ittehad here on Saturday demanded the restoration of peace and stability in Bara and the Tirah Valley of the Khyber tribal district.

Political leaders, elders, traders, social workers, and others participated in the gathering.

The speakers highlighted various problems and made suggestions for improving the law and order situation in Bara and Tirah Valley.

They stated that thousands of families in Tirah Valley had been forced to leave their homes due to ongoing unrest.

Expressing concern over militant activities despite the presence of security forces and police, the speakers asserted that it was the responsibility of the state to restore peace, not the local population.

“The people are facing numerous challenges, including issues related to health, education, and business, while militancy has once again resurfaced in the area,” said Shireen Afridi, the president of Bara Siyasi Ittehad.

He pointed out that militants had kidnapped Insaf Tajir Association Tirah President Sher Muhammad Afridi and his cousin Ibrar Afridi in the presence of security forces and took their lives after a week.

“Traders, businessmen, and influential figures are leaving the area and relocating to safer places due to the ongoing troubled situation,” he lamented.

Shireen Afridi stated that the jirga firmly opposed the formation of any peace body, “Shreshta”, or Aman Committee in Bara and Tirah under government patronage.

He emphasized that representatives from every tribe would be consulted, and an All-Party Conference convened in response to the tribal jirga recently organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the Nishtar Hall in Peshawar. He confirmed participation in the proposed Islamabad march.