Amid a surge in terrorist attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced plans to convene a “peace jirga” inside the provincial assembly, aimed at forging a unified strategy against terrorism and restoring peace in the province.
The jirga will bring together former chief ministers, governors, religious scholars, tribal elders, civil society members, lawyers, and other notable figures to discuss coordinated measures for countering militancy and strengthening internal security.
The decision came during a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, attended by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser, Junaid Akbar, and other senior members.
During the session, participants expressed sorrow over the recent Hangu bomb blasts, which claimed the lives of SP (Operations) Asad Zubair and three police personnel. They offered Fateha for the martyred and lauded the sacrifices of the police in maintaining law and order.
CM Afridi said the peace jirga would focus on achieving a collective vision for lasting stability and reaffirmed his government’s full support for law enforcement agencies. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our police force,” he said, vowing to provide modern equipment, training, and resources to enhance their operational capacity.
The announcement followed a deadly twin-blast in Hangu district on Friday. According to police reports, unidentified attackers first blew up the Gulmina police post, and later targeted SP Asad Zubair’s convoy with an IED as he was en route to inspect the site.
Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed the martyrdom of the SP and his team members, adding that a search operation was underway to track down the perpetrators. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The peace jirga, expected to convene soon, is being seen as an important step toward building provincial consensus and mobilising community-level support in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
