Jirga seeks early action on merged districts issues

PESHAWAR: A tribal elders’ delegation called on the divisional administration to seek urgent resolution of key issues in the merged districts and requested an early meeting with the provincial leadership.

The demand follows a recent federal announcement about the formation of a high-level committee to address post-merger challenges, with elders urging swift implementation and consultation.

During the meeting with Commissioner Peshawar Division Riaz Khan Mahsud, the jirga held a detailed discussion on governance, development, and administrative bottlenecks in the merged areas.

The elders referred to the Grand Tribal Jirga held in Peshawar after the launch of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, chaired by the prime minister and the chief of the army staff, during which the prime minister had announced the formation of a provincial committee to address merger-related grievances.

The proposed committee is to be headed by the KP chief minister and include senior civil and military officials. The jirga urged the divisional administration to expedite the process and ensure meaningful engagement with tribal representatives. In response, the commissioner contacted the provincial leadership, which assured that a meeting with the jirga would be arranged next week to deliberate on key concerns directly with the elders. The jirga also lauded the provincial leadership for what they termed a principled and proactive stance on tribal rights.

The elders noted that consistent advocacy and coordination at the provincial and federal levels had helped bring longstanding tribal issues back into national focus. The delegation included elders from all tribal districts and Frontier Regions, with representation from Waziristan, Khyber, Mohmand, Orakzai, Bajaur, and Kurram, as well as former MNAs and retired officials.