Pashtunkhwa Mep Announces Public Jirga in Sibi to Address Provincial Issues

Sibi:Central leaders of Pashtunkhwa MEP, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Hamid Khan Achakzai, held a press conference at the Sibi Press Club, announcing that a *Pashtun Awami Jirga* will be held on 7th and 8th December at the Jirga Hall in Sibi, under the leadership of Nawab Ayaz Jogezai. The jirga will be attended by the party’s president, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, as well as party members and tribal elders from all districts of Sibi Division. The primary aim of the jirga is to highlight the growing unrest and government inefficiency in the province.

The leaders criticized the provincial government for being more focused on corruption than ensuring peace and order. They stated that passengers were being forcibly removed from buses and killed, while trucks loaded with minerals were being set on fire. They also pointed out the daily violence and killings in areas like Sanjawi, Hernai, and Duki. Furthermore, they criticized the illegal allocation of coal mines and expressed concerns over the exploitation of local resources without benefiting the local population.

They called for local people to have ownership rights over the region’s mineral resources and highlighted the increasing deterioration of the province’s conditions, with the provincial government being seemingly unaware or indifferent to the situation. The leaders also pointed out the suspension of the Sibi-Hernai Railway section for the past five months, with authorities informing them that it would take another three months for the train services to resume. They emphasized that the Hernai Railway section was the only profitable railway route in the country, which significantly reduced transportation costs for mineral transfers.

The leaders also discussed the closure of trade at the Chaman border due to the new travel restrictions, which have been in place for over a year. They said that under these circumstances, holding a national jirga had become essential. The jirga will deliberate on key issues and pass resolutions on how to address the growing security concerns and combat terrorism in the region.

In response to a question, the leaders stated that the popularity of the PTI’s founder had increased after the downfall of the PTI government.