Hangu elders reiterate support to maintain peace

HANGU: The elders at a grand peace jirga on Friday reiterated their unwavering support for armed forces against any internal or external threats.The Jirga was held in Thall under the chairmanship of General Officer Commanding (GOC) 9 Division, Major General Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti.

Addressing the gathering, senior journalist Tariq Mehmood Mughal, Advocate Hassan Ahmad Khan, former MPA Haji Atiq-ur-Rehman, minority leader Sardar Honey Singh, and others said that the local community has made immense sacrifices for peace. They vowed to extend all possible help to the forces to maintain peace.

In his keynote address, Maj Gen Bhatti stated that a peace agreement was signed in Hangu in 2009 with significant contributions from the local peace committee.He also highlighted the success of the Kohat peace agreement, which led to the demolition of over a thousand militant bunkers and the recovery of large caches of weapons.

“The country is facing both conventional and non-conventional warfare. In non-conventional warfare, public support is crucial. No war can be won without the backing of the people,” Bhatti remarked.

He further warned about local elements who have joined the ranks of terrorist groups like the Khawarij, who mislead people in the name of religion. “These terrorists claim to fight in the name of Islam, yet their actions defy both Islamic values and basic humanity,” he added.