Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar speaks alongside Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry during a press conference at the Press Information Department on Saturday. Photo: PID/ File
The federal government on Saturday termed the Khyber National Jirga a “charge sheet” against the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, alleging poor governance and calling on the provincial authorities to apologise for what it described as the “construction of a false narrative”.
A jirga (tribal assembly) was convened at Bara Bazaar in Khyber district today under the auspices of the Khyber National Jirga.
The jirga leaders said the Tirah Valley had been vacated on the orders of the provincial and federal governments and called for immediate relief efforts for the affected residents. They also urged the federal government to present a plan for the return and rehabilitation of the displaced population.
Speaking to a private television channel, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said the jirga had not only demanded the restoration of peace but had also levelled serious allegations against the K-P government. He said the jirga had concluded that the provincial authorities were guilty of mismanagement and corruption and had failed to deliver for the people.
“This is a major charge sheet against the K-P provincial government — the Rs4 billion that were allocated for people’s relief, displacement, registration and assistance have no accountability,” he said.
Read: Political parties, tribal elders demand relief for displaced Tirah families
Criticising the provincial government as well as Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ministers and senior leadership, Tarar said their representatives frequently appeared on television, engaging in what he termed verbal attacks and theatrics, but were absent on the ground in Tirah Valley.
“After all, Tirah is within K-P. It is a provincial subject and falls under provincial administration. Their performance is zero. The Rs4b allocated for the people — the nation will demand an account of every single penny and ask where that money went,” he said.
The minister said the provincial government had attempted to shape a narrative, but the jirga had questioned what tangible steps had actually been taken for the people of the area.
Referring to allocations under the National Finance Commission, he said the entire nation had made sacrifices and provided the province with billions of rupees for counterterrorism, yet no Counter-Terrorism Department had been established, no Safe City cameras installed, and there were no schools, colleges, hospitals or universities in Tirah.
Tarar questioned whether there were any checkposts, check houses or police stations in the area, adding that performance remained negligible despite extensive rhetoric.
Also Read: Security official dismisses reports of Tirah Valley military operation as ‘propaganda’
He said that in matters of law and order, the people of Tirah looked to the Pakistan Army for protection against terrorists and to curb militant activity, adding that the jirga had also expressed confidence in the armed forces.
Demanding an apology from the K-P government, Tarar said the manner in which the situation in Tirah was exploited and the narrative constructed around it warranted an apology to the entire nation.
“They should fold their hands and apologise to the people of Tirah, admitting that they were wrong, that they failed to do anything for them and remained busy with hollow political rhetoric,” he said, adding that they stay occupied with statements and trolling, while performance and delivery were completely lacking.
Jirga findings expose ‘false narrative’: Talal Chaudhry
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also demanded an apology from the K-P government, saying a jirga convened by a major political alliance had endorsed the federal government’s position and exposed what he termed a false narrative built by the provincial authorities.
Talking to a private television channel, Chaudhry said the jirga’s findings left “no room” for the version presented by the K-P government.
He said it had been established that decisions regarding Tirah were taken by residents after assessing the ground realities, and that they vacated the area under an agreement reached between the people of Tirah and the provincial government.
“These people (the jirga) have, in a very clear manner, explained all those things which the federal government was, in one way or another, trying to convey to the public,” he said.
Criticising the provincial government, Chaudhry alleged that instead of fulfilling its responsibilities, it resorted to what he described as false propaganda to conceal poor performance and incompetence, exacerbating the suffering of the people.
“Today’s jirga has put its seal on the fact that a large portion of the Rs4b fell victim to corruption and embezzlement — money that was meant for the people of Tirah,” he added.
Also Read: PHC told neither federal nor K-P govt authorised Tirah operation
He further said the jirga had found that none of the promises made to the people of Tirah regarding the construction of hospitals, schools and police stations had been fulfilled. According to him, despite the passage of eight to nine years since 2017, not a single hospital was built in the area.
Chaudhry said residents were forced to migrate due to the lack of basic facilities and the absence of the government’s writ. He added that when federal forces were deployed to restore peace, they were met with allegations instead of cooperation.
He said the forces engaged in restoring peace, combating militancy and ensuring security were subjected to what he called baseless accusations, rather than the provincial government acknowledging its own shortcomings.
“Instead of admitting their own mistakes, lies and false allegations were fabricated against the same army that became a saviour for the people, that is fighting there, driving out and killing Khwarij, and restoring peace for them,” Chaudhry said.
Reiterating his demand, Chaudhry said that in light of the jirga’s conclusions, there was no justification for the K-P government to remain silent, insisting it must apologise as the allegations, he said, had been levelled deliberately for political purposes.
