PESHAWAR — Elders from Bajaur and Mohmand tribal districts reaffirmed their commitment to peace on Monday, offering full support to authorities in efforts to eliminate terrorism, which they unanimously declared as “the enemy of all.” However, they firmly opposed any military offensives or forced displacement in the name of restoring peace in the region.
The elders voiced their concerns during a consultative jirga convened to discuss the prevailing law and order situation in the merged districts. The meeting was chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and was held as part of a series of jirgas promised in the July 24 multi-party conference declaration.
This was the second jirga of its kind, following the first held on August 2, which included elders from Khyber, Orakzai, Darra Adamkhel (Kohat), and Hassankhel (Peshawar). In both meetings, participants unanimously opposed any future military operations or displacement of residents, questioning whether the state could provide written assurance that such actions would permanently end terrorism in the region.
The jirga was attended by several high-level officials, including Adviser to the Chief Minister Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Senator Noorul Haq Qadri, the chief secretary, the provincial police chief, as well as commissioners, deputy commissioners, and senior law enforcement officials, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
During the meeting, the elders expressed their strong desire for peace and stability, urging the government to ensure sustainable solutions. They pledged complete cooperation with the state to eliminate terrorism but maintained that peace must be pursued through non-military means.
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Participants recommended the formation of a broad-based and empowered jirga that would include representatives from the federal and provincial governments, tribal elders, and key stakeholders. This jirga, they said, should be tasked with initiating meaningful dialogue with the Afghan government and its people to address the root causes of militancy and work toward long-term peace in the region.
The elders welcomed the revival of traditional jirga mechanisms as a constructive step and stressed the need to further strengthen such platforms so that their outcomes could benefit other tribal districts as well.
Chief Minister Gandapur, in response, asked the participants to propose alternatives to military operations for restoring peace, signaling openness to inclusive, dialogue-based solutions over force-based approaches.