Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday urged the federal government to retract a statement and tender an apology over “false” claims that Tirah residents were never asked by federal authorities or the military to leave their homes ahead of a planned offensive against terrorists.
“If the statement is not withdrawn, I will call a jirga of the Afridi tribe next Sunday over the issue,” the chief minister told the provincial assembly during a session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.
The chief minister said the federal government’s assertion about the Tirah operation was a message of confrontation between the provincial and federal governments and state institutions besides being a death warrant for the 24-member committee that was forced to sign the evacuation agreement.
He insisted that the Centre’s press release on Tirah issue amounted to a “no confidence” in its representatives, including Peshawar corps commander and the Frontier Corps inspector.
Mr Afridi added that he had issued directions for not inviting both of them to any jirga in the future and that all communications with them should take place in writing and not verbally.
He said his party PTI had warned of militants’ regrouping in the hills but the warning was ignored, encouraging them to come down.
The CM said the militants could have been stopped but as no steps were taken, they reached residential areas, leaving residents confused about how to respond.
