The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government held the peace jirga at the provincial assembly to discuss the law and order situation in the province today (Wednesday).

The peace jirga began under the chairmanship of Babar Saleem Swati, speaker of the assembly, and was presided over by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

Upon his arrival, Sohail Afridi was presented with the guard of honour by the police.

Governor Kundi calls for unity to restore peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Governor Kundi said that everyone must work together for peace and guide the younger generation in the right direction.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the highest proportion of youth in the country, who must be empowered and steered towards a constructive future.

Kundi stressed that the Parliament, being the supreme forum, should also be utilised to promote peace and harmony. He added that it was vital to think collectively about the development and prosperity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The governor said Afghanistan’s proximity to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is both a fortune and a challenge, as every superpower has tried to conquer Afghanistan at some point in history.

He noted that the weapons left behind in Afghanistan are now being used in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, affecting the province’s peace and security. Kundi added that every individual has made sacrifices for the restoration of peace.

Sohail Afridi urges united effort at Peshawar peace jirga

He said terrorism has been devouring the country for 20 years and that decisions made behind closed doors will not eliminate the menace. Afridi called for out-of-the-box thinking to confront terrorism, noting that when a bomb explodes, it does not check which party the victim belonged to.

Afridi observed the personal losses suffered by families—“some lost sons, some lost fathers, some lost husbands”—and invited the public to provide suggestions, assuring that the government will stand with them until the end.

He said the province’s share in the NFC is up to 19% and that although the tribal districts were merged administratively, financial integration has not been achieved. Afridi claimed that in the name of an annual 100 billion, 700 billion rupees remain, and described the province’s treatment as that of a stepmother.

He added that net electricity profits amount to 2,200 billion rupees and said the federal government is indebted to the province, calling on all parties to discuss the issue. Afridi warned that Pakistan-Afghanistan relations directly affect Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said the participation of the province’s stakeholders will yield positive results.

Concluding, he said war is not a solution and should be the last option.

More than 20 parliamentary parties were expected to attend the Jirga, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), Jamhoori Watan Party, Awami National Party and others.

Speaking to the media, former speaker National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, said that peace is above politics. He said that the jirga was convened to gather all the stakeholders at a single platform and draft a comprehensive plan regarding the peace and stability in the province.

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation consisted of Speaker Assembly Babar Saleem Swati, Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar, and others, visited Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Kareem Kundi at the governor’s house to formally invite him to the peace jirga.

Kundi wholeheartedly accepted the invitation and expressed his desire to attend the jirga.

On November 6, PTI’s delegation also had a meeting with the federal minister for states and frontier affairs, Amir Muqam. According to the joint press conference held after the meeting, the federal government had accepted the PTI’s invitation to attend the peace jirga for the sake of the province’s peace and stability.