The federal government has tentatively agreed to lift a recent ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), albeit with some conditions. This decision emerged during a multiparty grand jirga hosted by the provincial government on Thursday.
According to sources, there is a specific procedure to follow for lifting the ban, so the notification will be temporarily ‘held in abeyance.’ It was also agreed that the PTM would be allowed to hold its scheduled Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga on Friday, hosted by the KP government and attended by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has authorized a provincial jirga to engage in talks with the banned PTM to address various contentious issues. This jirga will be led by Speaker of the KP Assembly Babar Saleem Swati, including members from both the treasury and opposition benches.
The KP government will host the PTM’s jirga and make all necessary arrangements, but with certain stipulations: no inflammatory slogans will be allowed, and no Afghan national flags should be brought. These conditions will be communicated to the PTM leadership by the jirga.
The PTM has not yet commented on this development.
Previously, on Sunday, the federal government imposed the ban on the PTM, citing threats to national peace and security under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. The notification stated that the PTM posed a “significant danger” to public order and safety. Following this announcement, a crackdown on PTM activists began in Peshawar and elsewhere, leading to raids on their planned Jirga venue in Jamrud and resulting in dozens of arrests. The PTM reported three deaths and ten injuries due to police actions.
During a session of the KP Assembly on Wednesday, lawmakers condemned the police crackdown, and both the treasury and opposition agreed to form a committee to address the situation.
On Thursday, the grand jirga, chaired by CM Gandapur, was attended by Interior Minister Naqvi, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, and representatives from various political parties, including PML-N, ANP, and Jamaat-i-Islami.
Sources indicate that all political leaders in KP are united in their aim to restore peace in the province. They collectively condemned the ban on the PTM and the police actions against its members, asserting that holding public gatherings is a constitutional right.
The chief minister mentioned that the KP government had requested the federal government to allow them to manage the situation, but received direct orders for police action against the banned PTM instead.
Participants at the jirga noted that PTM activists belong to multiple political parties, including PTI, ANP, and PPP, and acknowledged the legitimacy of their demands, expressing that the grand jirga should have convened sooner, though they recognized that “better late than never.”
The interior ministry did not oppose the grand jirga’s proposals and praised the political unity in KP. A statement from the CM Secretariat indicated that, after thorough discussions, members from the provincial assembly and party leaders expressed full confidence in the chief minister, tasking him with leading the jirga for a peaceful resolution.
Later, the jirga members attempted to meet with PTM representatives in Khyber district for talks, but the meeting could not occur as the PTM representatives had not arrived by late evening.
