ANP-convened jirga seeks steps to restore peace in KP

PESHAWAR: The Pakhtun Amn Jirga, convened by the Awami National Party (ANP), on Saturday demanded practical steps to restore durable peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, protect its people and give the province its due rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The day-long jirga was held at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar which was attended by representatives of Pakistan People’s Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat Islami, National Democratic Movement, Mazdoor Kisan Party, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement and Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party, tribal elders, lawyers, intellectuals, writers, traders and civil society members.

The participants gave their input about the restoration of peace and tranquility in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly the merged tribal districts.

At the end of the jirga a joint communiqué was issued with the consensus of participants.

ANP provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain presented the 28-point declaration to the media.

The jirga declared Maulana Khan Zeb a national hero and Shaheed of the whole Pakhtun nation who was killed by unidentified armed men in Bajaur recently.

It demanded formation of a judicial commission to identify the killers behind the death of Maulana Khan Zeb.

A committee comprising politicians and tribal elders should be constituted to hold talks with the military establishment for durable peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal districts.

The participants also hinted at holding protest camps in Rawalpindi/Islamabad if serious steps were not taken against prevailing security in the merged districts and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The joint communiqué also demanded complete implementation of 18th amendment, its protection and early announcement of new National Finance Commission Award wherein Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be given its due share in resources including for the merged districts.

The jirga also opposed militancy, terrorism and violence in all forms and said that the state must take practical steps against all militant organizations. It said that there were no good or bad among the militants and they must be eliminated forthwith.

The state must avoid policy that protects and promotes violence and militancy and the National Action Plan must be implemented in its true spirit.

The jirga demanded an end to ‘Action in Aid of Civil Power’, declaring forced disappearance as a crime and producing all missing persons before the courts while the police force must be given full power to maintain law and order in the province.

The jirga opposed proxy war on the land of Pakhtuns and the affected people must be compensated for their losses during military operations in the past while reconstruction and rehabilitation process should be continued in the affected areas of the province.

The jirga members asked the government to remain neutral in any international war games on its soil and keep good and cordial relations with neighbours including Afghanistan, Iran and India.

The joint communiqué asked for opening of all trade routes with Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be given full power to continue trade with Afghanistan via legal routes.

The jirga recommended that all administrative and developmental works must be given to civil administration and elected representatives in former tribal areas where more local people should be recruited in the police force, Frontier Constabulary now renamed as Federal Constabulary and other forces.

The jirga asked for improving literacy particularly women education, restoration of 3G and 4G mobile phone and internet services and construction of professional colleges and universities in the merged districts.

The jirga demanded an end to unnecessary checkpoints in the tribal districts and computerization of land records in the erstwhile tribal agencies. The jirga asked for scholarships, special quota and incentives for the tribal students in higher education and professional colleges of the country.