K-P CM Afridi meets PM Shehbaz amid Tirah displacement row

ISLAMABAD:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House on Monday for a one-on-one meeting, amid rising tensions between the federal and provincial governments over security and the displacement of people from Tirah Valley.

The meeting concluded with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Rana Sanaullah, Amir Muqam and K-P Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam also in attendance.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Afridi said he expressed condolences over the situation in Balochistan. “We discussed the NFC and other outstanding dues,” Afridi said, adding that PM Shehbaz has issued instructions to Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal to hold discussions with Aslam in this regard.

Further, the chief minister stated that there will be one or two more meetings. “Discussions were also held regarding terrorism,” he added. However, he clarified that there was no political discussion between the officials.

Afridi also revealed that there was no discussion regarding meetings with incarcerated former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder, Imran Khan, at Adiala Jail. The chief minister stated that he did not make any such demand.

Read: Afridi signals march on Islamabad over Tirah

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, during the meeting, PM Shehbaz emphasised the need for cooperation between the federal and provincial governments for the development and welfare of the people of K-P.

The PM stated that cooperation between the federal and provincial governments is essential for maintaining law and order in the province, adding that the K-P government needs to further strengthen its efforts to ensure peace and security.

He added that the provincial government should strengthen provincial institutions to counter terrorism, and that federal and provincial governments will continue joint efforts to completely eliminate terrorism.

Further, he stressed that the provincial government must fulfill its constitutional responsibility to maintain law and order and ensure public welfare in the province, adding that the K-P government is empowered to take steps for health and education for the people of the province.

Shehbaz stated that the federal government has always strived for the betterment of the people of K-P, calling it an important unit of the federation. He assured that the federal government will continue to make full efforts within its jurisdiction for the prosperity of the province’s people.

Further, the PM urged close coordination and effective liaison between the federation and the provinces, terming them essential for national development and public service. He assured cooperation, within the federal mandate, for development projects, infrastructure improvement, education, health, and increasing employment opportunities in K-P.

He said the federal government is committed to working with all provinces and implementing a vision of equitable development, adding that through mutual consultation and collaboration, national unity, stability, and prosperity can be effectively achieved.

Sources had earlier said the meeting would include an exchange of views on the security situation in K-P, with Afridi expected to brief the prime minister on concerns related to terrorism, the operation in Tirah and the displacement of local residents. Political matters were also on the agenda.

The two sides were also expected to take up the issue of outstanding dues owed by the Centre to the province, as well as a possible protest planned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on February 8, marking the anniversary of the 2024 general elections, which the opposition party claims were rigged.

A day earlier, Afridi announced plans to convene a province-wide grand jirga and said he was preparing to launch a protest march towards Islamabad over the alleged forced displacement of residents from Tirah Valley and what he described as a federal “U-turn” on the issue.

Speaking to a jirga, he said the prime minister had invited him for talks on provincial rights, where he would present the case of the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa “with full force and determination.” Afridi said his visit aimed to “plead the case of K-P’s rights and secure our outstanding dues.”

Read More: K-P CM opposes Tirah operation, hints at Islamabad sit-in

The meeting comes amid a growing standoff over who authorised the evacuation of Tirah, after hundreds of families were forced to leave their homes amid fears of a planned military action.

While authorities initially said the evacuations were carried out with the consent of all stakeholders, including local elders, the provincial government and the military, the issue became controversial after displaced families were left in freezing conditions under the open sky, with alleged mismanagement worsening their situation.

Earlier this week, the federal government said the movement of people from Tirah was part of routine seasonal migration and denied any military operation in the valley.

Afridi rejected the claim, calling the official stance “a joke” and saying the Centre changed its position only after international media highlighted the “actual sufferings of the people of the valley.”

– With additional input by Usama Iqbal