- Govt-constituted jirga says it will negotiate with PTM according to law
PESHAWAR: The leader of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Manzoor Pashteen, on Monday said that they don’t know who to negotiate with as 13 different jirgas have been constituted for talks with the PTM.
“If we do not schedule a meeting with any [jirga], they say that they will hold a press conference and announce that we [PTM] do not want to negotiate,” Pashteen said on social media site Twitter.
13 مختلف جرگوں کے ذریعے ہم سے بات چیت ہورہی ہے سمجھ نہیں آرہا ہے کس سے بات کرے اور اگر کسی کو ٹائم نہیں دیا تو وہ فورا” کہتا ہے کے ہم پریس کانفرنس کرینگے کہ پی ٹی ایم مزکرات نہیں کرنا چاہتے ہیں ۔
— Manzoor Pashteen (@manzoorpashteen) May 6, 2018
On the other hand, a high-powered jirga on Monday expressed hope of successful negotiations between the government and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) according to law and constitution.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the jirga briefed media on a meeting with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) apex committee. “We will go to any extent to resolve the issues in accordance with the constitution and law,” said MNA Shahji Gul Afridi.
Elaborating on the process of the dialogue, he said that four members of the jirga will reach out to the PTM for talks while eight members will be on the negotiating team. “PTM has never refused negotiations,” he stated.
The jirga, comprising politicians and tribal elders, was formed on April 24 to hold negotiations with PTM.
The grand jirga, according to Afridi, has been given complete authority to resolve issues put forth by the PTM. He clarified that there were no restrictions on movement for holding public gatherings anywhere in the country.
Meanwhile, KP Minister for Information Shah Farman added that the KP government will act as a facilitator between the jirga and PTM.