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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed officials to resolve tensions in Khyber after Wednesday’s violence ahead of the Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga, said provincial government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif.
On Sunday, the federal government imposed a ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), citing threats to national peace and security. A day ago, the KP government prohibited its officials and employees from engaging with the three-day Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga, also called the Pashtun Qaumi Adalat, organised by the PTM and issued a public warning against any association.
Khyber Deputy Commissioner retired Captain Sanaullah Khan also imposed Section 144 in the district for 30 days.
The move came in the lead-up to the grand jirga, scheduled for October 11 in Khyber district. Diehard activists assembled at the venue of their three-day jirga in Jamrud on Sunday evening in clear defiance of the federal government’s order and vowed to hold the gathering.
Earlier today, the PTM alleged that three of its supporters were killed due to the “straight firing” of law enforcement agencies ahead of the jirga. Awami National Party (ANP) MPA Nisar Baaz, during today’s KP Assembly session, said people had gathered for the jirga and “on the orders of the KP government, the police took action, killing three people and injuring over 10”.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also said it was “deeply concerned by reports of violence being received from Khyber”. It added: “We oppose any use of unwarranted and unlawful force against those protesters who are unarmed.”
In a video message responding to the matter, KP government spokesperson Barrister Saif recounted the federal government’s ban on the PTM, adding that thus the organisation could not be permitted any political activity.
“In this context, the proscribed organisation’s announced gathering to be held from Oct 11-13 can not be permitted.”
He said the district administration had also banned any political gatherings in Khyber district due to Section 144 in force.
“Despite all the legal measures in place, when the proscribed organisation tried to hold a gathering in the area then violence broke out between their members and the police.”
Barrister Saif said CM Gandapur was chairing a meeting of the provincial cabinet when he was alerted about the “unfortunate incident”.
He added that CM Gandapur immediately took notice, summoning and ordering PTI MPAs from Khyber district to at once go to the area and establish contact with tribal stakeholders and parties to find a peaceful solution to the matter.
He said Kukikhel tribesmen and elders were also engaged to find a solution. Barrister Saif said the engagement and consultation processes were being carried out under the Peshawar commissioner and district administration’s supervision with the authorities aiming to keep control of the law and order situation to prevent events from spiralling out of control.
“The KP CM is very seriously looking after the matter and it is his utmost effort to resolve matters and control the law and order situation peacefully,” he said
“Let it remain clear that all denizens of KP, no matter which organisation or political party they may belong to, the responsibility for their protection belongs to the KP government and we are performing our duties while seriously considering the peace and order situation in the province,” Saif added.
“It is CM Gandapur’s effort to resolve the matter through talks. He has summoned all stakeholders to solve all their issues under a jirga platform in line with Pashtun traditions under the chief minister’s leadership.
“We hope that all stakeholders will say yes to the chief minister’s request and will try to peacefully solve the issue through the jirga instead of protest.”
The spokesperson reiterated his request that all stakeholders participate in the jirga and adopt actions to resolve issues through mutual dialogue and understanding.
KP Assembly forms committee on incident
Meanwhile, prayers were offered in the KP Assembly for those killed in today’s violence with Speaker Babar Saleem Swati saying: “The uncertain situation will push the province further into chaos.”
The assembly also approved the formation of a special committee regarding the incident with the speaker saying its first meeting would be held tomorrow at the Assembly Secretariat under KP Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi’s chairmanship.
Swati said the KP inspector general of police, chief secretary and additional chief secretary (ACS) home and tribal affairs department would clarify their position before the committee.
He added that the committee’s composition would be issued soon.
Security czar Mohsin Naqvi warns PTM
Separately, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi criticised the recently proscribed PTM for its alleged rhetoric against state institutions. He said that the government was ready to talk on rights-related issues with anyone if done in a “proper manner”.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on the matter, Naqvi recounted the ban on the group by the federal government and said no one had an issue if people wanted to organise a jirga.
“Jirgas have been held before and will continue being held and no one has an issue with it. A jirga comprises a gathering of tribal elders, bringing people in the thousands is not called a jirga but something else.”
On the one hand, he said that the gathering was being referred to as a jirga and on the other hand, it was being referred to as a court.
The security czar said the government decided to not allow a “parallel judicial system” at any cost, adding that the ban was based on the alleged rhetoric by the PTM against state institutions and the police.
“You are talking about division in the nation by promoting ethnic divide. You can definitely [talk] about political topics and rights but … it cannot be permitted that you try to turn the nation against the institution.”
He said he was aware that leaders from a few major political parties had met PTM leaders and expressed solidarity on the issue of rights, but they had made it clear that talking about rights while advocating taking up weapons was not possible.
Naqvi said there was no further contact between the two groups after that meeting.
“People tried to make them (PTM) understand and said if it was a matter of rights then let us all speak as one,” he said, adding that the federal government was also ready to sit down and have talks about human rights with those “who only talk about rights in a proper manner”.
He said it was not possible that “state institutions were relentlessly slandered for years” and the federal government did nothing and remained silent.
“Anyway, it was banned and then the KP government placed 54 people on the Fourth Schedule and Balochistan placed 34.”
Including a name in the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act means the person concerned has become a proscribed person. Restrictions imposed on such persons include passport embargo, freezing of bank accounts, a ban on financial support and credit, arms licence embargo, and employment clearance restrictions.
He said the federal and provincial governments were bound by the law to seal offices of proscribed organisations and there were many restrictions placed on them such as media, financial services, travel, arms licences and identity documents.
“It has been banned. Now, whoever assists them in any way or tries to help them out will also fall under these sanctions.”
The interior minister further alleged that videos and visuals of the PTM were shot by “foreign companies with external funding”.
“Whoever masters are behind you, we have a clear message for them that if you do this (spread division) in our country, then we will treat you accordingly”, Naqvi asserted.
“Then don’t expect that you will try to spread discord in our country and we will remain silent. The same is the message for the anarchists that there will be no forgiveness.”
Naqvi said intrigue and taking up arms against the country could not be allowed.
PHC bars PTM from holding gathering
Earlier today, a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) restrained the PTM from holding the jirga on disputed land, directing the police to take action to maintain law and order.
The PHC issued a stay order to stop the event on the disputed land and adjourned the case till Oct 15. The bench consisted of Justice Attiq Shah and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah.
The additional attorney general told the court that the PTM was banned by the federal government and its activity was prohibited under the law.
He said that action by law enforcement agencies against any banned organisation was legally permissible, adding that the land being used for the gathering was also disputed.
A resident of the district had moved the PHC against the PTM’s jirga.
The petitioner Khateer Ullah had listed the federal government, provincial government, inspector general of police and PTM leader Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen as respondents.
In his petition, he argued that following the constitutional amendment, all tribal districts had been merged in KP and followed “the law of land” saying that a national court was unconstitutional in this situation.
The petitioner sought a stay order on the illegal jirga until a final decision was reached.
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