PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Tuesday assured full support to families displaced from the Tirah Valley, saying the provincial government would not abandon those who had suffered due to years of conflict and instability.
An important jirga of elders and prominent figures from the Khyber tribal district was held at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar to review the law and order situation and discuss the difficulties faced by displaced families.
The meeting focused on finding the long-term solutions for peace and rehabilitation in the area.
Addressing the jirga, the chief minister said the people of Tirah had made great sacrifices for the country by leaving behind their homes, land and sources of income. He stressed that these sacrifices must be recognised and that the government would provide all possible assistance to help the affectees rebuild their lives.
Afridi said there had long been a mindset that resisted bringing Pashtuns, especially tribal communities, into the national mainstream. He added that such thinking had harmed the region for decades. Referring to criticism he faced after becoming chief minister, Afridi said negative propaganda was launched against him but public support had rejected those claims.
The chief minister made it clear that while eliminating terrorism and restoring peace remained a priority, military action alone could not offer a permanent solution. He said there was wide agreement among political parties and other stakeholders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that decisions imposed without consultation would not succeed.
He also stressed that lasting peace in Tirah could only be achieved through dialogue, mutual understanding and consensus with local communities, rather than decisions taken behind closed doors.
