A grand jirga of elders and politicians from across the Malakand division proclaimed that they will neither organize a peace force nor accept any military action to confront militants.
The declaration was made at a meeting of the major political parties, civil society, and elders from Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Buner, Malakand, and Chitral last week in Chakdara, which was hosted by the Dir Qaumi Pasoon (DQP), an organization of elders.
The jirga expressed reservations over recent incidents of terrorism, extortion, and lawlessness in the region, urging the authorities to investigate those responsible for terrorist attacks and the deaths of innocent people, stressing that the state should deal with the militants with ‘an iron hand’.
It went on to say that it was the duty of the state and its institutions alone to safeguard people’s lives and property against forces that threaten law and order. They claimed that in five months, terrorist attacks, extortion allegations, and lawlessness had frightened the people of Malakand Division.
It also condemned the ‘irresponsible’ comment by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, who had previously stated that the blacklisted Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan was not involved in targeted killings and extortion acts in the province, saying that a grand jirga of elders at the divisional level will be constituted by voting to adopt strategies for long-term peace.
The jirga pledged to unanimously denounce any unfortunate occurrence in any area of the Malakand division, irrespective of political affiliation.
Jirgas at the district level will be encouraged to start peace initiatives and promote political awareness.
It further stated that the event’s goal was to safeguard the creation of peace throughout the Malakand division and the defense of people’s lives and property, which required the people to unite.
Influential political leaders, civil society members, and local elders attended the meeting, in addition to DQP Chief, Malik Jehan Alam, Member of the KP Provincial Assembly (MPA), Haji Bahadar Khan, former provincial minister, Muzafar Said, former Member of National Assembly (MNA), Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) divisional president, Malik Jehan Zeb Khan, former MPA Malik Behram Khan, Awami National Party (ANP) senior vice president, Hussain Shah Yousafzai, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) district chief, Ameer Siraj ud Din, and several others.
Via Dawn
