Grand jirga gives the government one month to eliminate militants and restore lasting peace, warning of protests, highway closures and a possible long march to Islamabad.
SWAT: A grand jirga representing political parties, traders and civil society has rejected any new military operation in Swat and demanded the withdrawal of federal taxes from Malakand Division and the merged districts.
The Swat Qaumi Jirga held the gathering in Mingora, where participants called for lasting peace and an end to militancy in the region. The jirga gave the government one month to take effective measures to eliminate militants and restore security.
Participants said Swat and Malakand Division had faced terrorism, military operations, natural disasters and floods since 2007, severely affecting the local economy and tourism.
They argued that residents could neither afford another military operation and renewed instability nor bear the burden of additional taxes.
Jirga Demands Withdrawal of Federal Taxes
The participants welcomed the provincial government’s decision to withdraw KPRA and other provincial taxes, but demanded that the federal government also withdraw federal taxes from Malakand Division and the merged districts.
They also called for the restoration of the separate status of Malakand Division.
In a declaration issued after the jirga, its president and former Matta Tehsil Nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan said the people of Swat and Malakand Division wanted lasting peace and security.
He demanded that the state and relevant institutions remove militants from the region within one month.
Protest and Long March Threat
The declaration warned that failure to meet the demands would lead to a major protest rally in Swat.
The jirga said the rally could be followed by an indefinite sit-in and closure of major highways, with elders, political and non-political organisations and civil society participating.
If the government still failed to accept the demands, the jirga said a long march towards Islamabad would be announced.
The gathering was attended by elected representatives, political leaders, traders and civil society figures, including MPA Fazal Hakim Khan, MNA Dr Amjad Ali Khan, former MNA Dr Haider Ali Khan and representatives of the ANP, PPP, Jamaat-i-Islami, JUI, PML-N and other political organisations.
Calls for Security and Economic Recovery
Speakers said the people of Swat and Malakand Division had paid a heavy price during nearly two decades of terrorism and unrest.
They urged the state to take practical measures to ensure public safety, establish lasting peace and revive the regional economy, particularly tourism and local businesses.
The Swat Qaumi Jirga has previously opposed military operations in the area and called for strengthening the capacity of local police to counter terrorism.
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