Government, opposition unite against civilian casualties from both terrorism and drone warfare
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Photo: X
In a rare display of political unity, a joint jirga chaired by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday unanimously condemned the ongoing drone strikes in tribal districts and decided to convene a series of assemblies on the issue.
The jirga, which included lawmakers from both government and opposition benches representing tribal districts, was told that relentless drone strikes continued to result in repeated civilian casualties and damage to local property.
Participants agreed that the current situation was no longer acceptable, where innocent lives were being lost due to both terrorism and drone strikes. They agreed to hold a special provincial assembly on Thursday, a cabinet meeting on Friday and a major tribal jirga at the Chief Minister’s House on Saturday.
Addressing the assembly, CM Afridi stated that civilian deaths from both terrorism and drone strikes were unacceptable. “The people of tribal areas cannot be made to pay the double price in terms of their lives,” he said. “Neither terrorism nor civilian deaths in drone strikes can be justified.”
The jirga rejected the recurring pattern of civilian deaths being dismissed as mistakes. Members argued that targeting innocent citizens under the pretext of wrongdoing must stop immediately.
“Despite modern technology, the continuous loss of innocent lives due to so-called mistakes is unacceptable under any circumstances,” Afridi added. “Apologies cannot compensate for the lives lost. The damage is irreparable.”
Read: Jirga demands an end to the border hostilities
The Chief Minister announced the postponement of his Lahore visit in view of the situation. He warned that the province cannot afford further instability, stressing that “decision-makers must understand that the blood of our people is not cheap.”
It was revealed during the jirga that Rs26 billion has been allocated this year to the Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch to further strengthen the province’s counter-terrorism capacity.
The jirga ended with a consensus to adopt a common strategy that transcends political affiliations, promising a united effort against both terrorism and extrajudicial drone strikes.
