Afridi: We Will Stand Against Military Operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Suhail Afridi, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has said that the recommendations of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aman Jirga should be implemented to achieve a lasting solution to insecurity, rather than relying on unilateral decisions or press conferences.
Earlier, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) of the Pakistani army, during a press conference, objected to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stance on military operations in the region.
Responding to the remarks, Afridi said security is a shared issue for both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan, and achieving it requires a comprehensive policy that includes all stakeholders, including political parties, Pashtun elders, and other influential figures.
He added that decisions should not be made based on personal interests or behind closed doors, but through inclusive policies formulated with the participation of all sides and their representatives.
“This clear position of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is led by Imran Khan, and the participants of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aman Jirga also share the same view,” Afridi said. “From now on, decisions made behind closed doors and imposed on us will not produce the results expected.”
In a separate gathering in Islamabad, Afridi strongly criticized the Pakistani army’s operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and warned that they would oppose this approach.
According to him, all political and religious parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have repeatedly stated that military operations are not the solution to the region’s problems, yet they continue. “This is not the will of the people; it is coercion,” he said. “If governance is carried out through force, it is my duty to protect the lives and property of the people, and I will do so.”
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aman Jirga, bringing together representatives of political parties and tribal elders from the former tribal districts at the provincial assembly, has insisted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be involved in talks with Afghanistan to ease tensions.
