Seminar speakers oppose operation in Tirah

BARA: The Bara Seyasi Ittehad and other stakeholders have opposed the launch of military operation in Tirah valley of the Khyber district.

Speaking at a seminar at the Bara Press Club, they said the people of Tirah valley would not evacuate their homes. They said that it was the main responsibility of the government to restore peace and provide facilities to people. They said that they would stop cooperating with the government if it did not restore peace.

“We have been living in Tirah for generations. We will not leave our homes,” an elder Muhammad Hussain said.He maintained that the tribal people rendered matchless sacrifices for the restoration of peace over the 10 years as they had to move their families to Peshawar and other places.

“Now, we will not again evacuate our homes,” another elder said, adding that the government had not reconstructed the damaged infrastructure so far.“We will form a committee with representation from all the sub-tribes of the Afridi tribe and the Anjuman Tajiran Bara, which will decide the future course of action along with the Bara Seyasi Ittehad,” Bara Seyasi Ittehad President Hashim Afridi said.

“A peace rally will be organized in Khyber within a few days. We are hoping that thousands of people will attend it,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the state to restore peace. In a question, he said that elected representatives were invited to the seminar, but they were unable to attend.

Those who attended the seminar included Bara Seyasi Ittehad General Secretary Attaullah Afridi, Finance Secretary Zahir Shah, Spokesperson Khan Wali Afridi, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Shah Faisal Afridi, Muhammad Khan, Aurangzeb, Maulana Asadullah from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Tehsil Chairman Mufti Muhammad Kafeel Afridi, Awami National Party local leader Sherin Afridi, Irfan, Imran Lala, Satori Gul, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Zahidullah and Dr Abdul Wahab, former president of Khyber Union Pakistan Bazaar Gul Afridi, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, Khalil Khan, Abdul Samad, Haris, village council chairman Sultan Mir, Sajid, Gul Wali, Jamil Muqam, Khyber Students Union President Gul Muhammad, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Asghar Khan, Abid Faiz, Ehsanullah, Anwar Shaid, Qaumi Watan Party’s Ajab Khan, Sipah Khidmat Khalq Welfare Society Ameer Shah, Turab Ali, Qazi Shah Mir, Muhammad Umar, village council chairman Javed Afridi, Ikhtiar Badshah, Afridi, Malik Muhammad Hussain, Sohbat Khan, Alif Khan Zakkhakhel, Anjuman Tajiran Bara president Azeem Khan, Ishaq Khan, Muhammad Amin of Maroof Karwan, Naqeebullah, Ibrahim Khan and Painda Khan and others participated in the seminar.