October 20, 2025
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Sunday, announced that a jirgah would be held in his hometown, Bara, District Khyber, next week (Oct 25) to promote lasting peace in the volatile province, and to oppose those decisions that have been made without consulting the locals.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the newly elected CM emphasized that no one would be allowed to enforce decisions made behind “closed doors.” He asserted that the people of KP would determine their own future and cautioned against any unilateral moves regarding the province. “The people of KP will decide about their lives and future,” he reiterated.
PTI has repeatedly rejected proposals for anti-terror operations in the province. In August 2025, the party’s jailed founder Imran Khan had instructed then–Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur not to permit the federal government to launch military operations. Khan reportedly repeated this stance last month, and CM Afridi’s appointment is believed to reflect that position.
In his first address last week, CM Afridi stressed that military action was not the answer to militancy. Previously, similar jirgahs were convened by former CM Gandapur, who held consultations with public representatives and elders from the merged districts, during which participants advocated for dialogue with the interim Afghan government to achieve regional peace.
Peshawar-based journalist, Lehaz Ali, told Voicepk that this jirgah was not like the traditional ones where tribesmen make decisions on issues and then implemented them arbitrarily. Rather, this was a ‘political jirgah‘ aimed at building consensus among the people regarding the military operations — by seeking their input and asking for alternative solutions to address the issue.
He added that residents of the area have reservations about the ongoing operations and do not want to see another military offensive in their region. Therefore, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was finding himself in a difficult position in deciding on counter-terrorism strategies and whether to approve new military operations.
“If he agrees to the operation, it will have negative political consequences, as the decision would go against the wishes of his voters and thus affect his party’s political standing. However, if he refuses to approve the operation, it will still be difficult for him to withstand the pressure,” he explained.
Mohsin Dawar, Chairman of the National Democratic Movement and former Member of the National Assembly from North Waziristan, questioned the state’s intentions in dealing with terrorism.
He said, “The state of Pakistan facilitated the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan for larger American objectives. If they are truly serious about ending the ‘Project Taliban,’ they know exactly how to do it — and it wouldn’t require attacking them in Kabul.”
Regarding the possibility of new operations, he said, “We have witnessed dozens of military operations, yet we have not seen any positive results. Instead, militancy has increased. The credibility of their actions is in question because there is a clear contradiction in the state’s policy — they say one thing and do another. That is why people do not trust them.”