PESHAWAR: A dispute between the Awami National Party (ANP) chief Aimal Wali Khan and the chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Hafeez-ur-Rehman was settled after the intervention of a Jirga here at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar.
A heated exchange during a Senate session between Awami National Party (ANP) chief Aimal Wali Khan and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman concluded peacefully with the intervention of a jirga.
Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman, accompanied by a jirga and senior anchorperson Mubashir Luqman, visited Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar, where Wali Khan accepted the jirga in line with Pashtun traditions and forgave the PTA chairman.
The altercation stemmed from remarks made by Hafeez-ur-Rehman during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Less Developed Areas, which deeply angered Wali Khan. Following an immediate apology from the PTA chairman during that meeting, tensions escalated when Wali Khan asserted that either he or the PTA chairman needed to leave, prompting Hafeez-ur-Rehman to exit in response.
The incident drew condemnation from Senate Committee Chairman Senator Agha Shahzeb Durrani and other committee members, who supported Wali Khan’s position. Subsequently, Wali Khan raised the issue in the Senate, moving a privilege motion demanding the PTA chairman’s resignation.
In a statement following the jirga, the PTA chairman emphasised that the conflict had arisen from a misunderstanding and reaffirmed his respect and honour for Senator Wali Khan and his family. “I had apologised for the incident that day, and today I have come to Bacha Khan Markaz to apologise once again,” he stated.
Wali Khan remarked, “Bacha Khan Markaz is the home of all the oppressed and Pashtuns, where jirgas are held,” while expressing his willingness to accept the PTA chairman’s jirga as a sign of respect for Pashtun traditions.
The resolution highlights the significance of traditional conflict resolution methods in addressing modern political disputes in Pakistan.
