Sohail Afridi warns of Pashtun grand jirga if Tira evacuation notice is not withdrawn
Peshawar, Pakistan | Web Desk: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has strongly rejected what he termed “closed-door decisions” regarding the evacuation of Tira Valley, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a federal notification ordering residents to vacate the area.
Addressing a large street movement rally in Mingora, the chief minister warned that if the notification is not withdrawn and a formal apology issued, he will convene first an Afridi tribal jirga, followed by a grand Pashtun jirga to challenge the decision.
Afridi alleged that three options were presented to remove him from office: the imposition of Governor’s Rule, his disqualification, or his assassination. He claimed that after political narratives against him failed, a military operation was launched in Tira Valley to undermine public support.
He rejected claims that residents were leaving voluntarily, questioning why families would abandon their homes without coercion. Afridi announced that a Tira Valley jirga would be held next Sunday to determine whether displacement was forced or voluntary.
The KP chief minister emphasized that decisions taken without transparency harm public trust and called for all future coordination with institutions to be conducted in writing and with evidence. He warned that failure to reverse the notification within two days would trigger province-wide Pashtun resistance through jirga mechanisms.
