Peshawar: A delegation of the provincial committee of the National Peace Jirga met with Awami National Party (ANP) Central President Senator Aimal Wali Khan in Wali Bagh, Charsadda.
The delegation was led by Mian Iftikhar Hussain, President of the Awami National Party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chairman of the Provincial Committee of the National Peace Jirga.
During the meeting, Senator Aimal Wali Khan was formally invited to participate in the Islamabad Peace March on August 23. Emphasis was placed on the importance of national unity and solidarity to achieve lasting peace in the country and protect public rights.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan addressed the attendees, stating that for the past five decades, the Pashtun nation has been a victim of ongoing terrorism. He criticised the ruling elite and their allies for clinging to failed policies. He expressed that the Pashtun community has always stood by Pakistan and supported it in difficult times, but now they feel abandoned and are suffering losses.
He urged the people of Pakistan to show solidarity with the Pashtuns, saying, “Just as we supported you in your sorrow, today we appeal to you for solidarity. Raise your voice and speak for the Pashtuns of Pakistan. The state oppression in Bajaur, where innocent lives are being lost, must stop immediately. This state-sponsored terrorism cannot continue any longer. We ask you to stand with us and raise your voice for justice and peace.”
Aimal Wali Khan lamented that while there are calls for peace from every Pashtun home, the ruling party’s closure of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—the very province that brought them to power—is akin to rubbing salt in the wounds of the Pashtuns. He described this act as not only a serious insult but also a mockery of the Pashtun community.
He further pointed out the recent statement from the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding peace, followed by a contradictory U-turn after a software update, as evidence that the state continues to push the Pashtuns toward destruction with policies that distinguish between good and bad. He remarked that while the Chief Minister’s initial statement was truthful, attempts to backtrack do not change this fact.
Aimal Wali Khan demanded that the state clarify the Chief Minister’s statement, stressing that it is time to speak and support the truth.
Additionally, senior leaders from various political parties attended the meeting of the National Peace Jirga, including Senator Maulana Atta-ul-Haq Darwish of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), Ahmed Karim Kundi and Akhunzada Chattan from the Pakistan Peoples Party, Arbab Khizr Hayat of PML-N, Tariq Ahmed Khan of Qaumi Watan Party, Ashraf Hoti of the Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party, Intikhab Chamkani from PML-Q, Provincial President of the Mazdoor Kisan Party Adil Mehmood, Muhammad Humayun from the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Jamal Dawar of the National Democratic Movement, Engineer Haider, and Mufti Abdullah Shakir from the Awami Workers Party.
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Present at the occasion were also Awami National Party Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai, Vice President Shahi Khan Sherani, Joint Secretary Hamid Toofan, Charsadda District President Shakeel Bashir Khan, and Member of Provincial Assembly Nisar Baz Khan.
