PESHAWAR: The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leadership on Saturday handed over a list of 30 nominees to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government for representing the rights movement in the jirga meant to resolve security and administrative problems faced by the Pashtuns.
PTM leader Ali Wazir told Pakistan Today that a list of several names has been given to the government for the purpose of holding a jirga for discussing the issues and reaching a solution, adding that PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen was not among the nominees.
The nominees include Mohsin Dawar, Latif Afridi, Afrasiab Khattak, Bushra Gohar, Senator Usman Kakar, Senator Raza Mohammad Raza, Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai, Gul Marjan Khan, Fanoos Gujjar and Fazal Khan Advocate.
Three amongst these nominees are from the Awami National Party (ANP), two are from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and one is from the Pakistan Worker’s Party (PWP).
“The name of PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen is not included in the list,” said Ali Wazir.
Wazir further said that the movement has informed the government that jirga will be held on equal terms, with both sides having complete power and authority to make decisions. The decisions, he said, will be binding and acceptable for both the sides.
In a previous meeting with the KP government jirga at Hayatabad on May 16, PTM had pleaded for more time to finalise its list of representatives. The KP jirga is being headed by Information Minister Shah Farman and comprises many pro-government tribal elders.
Leaders of the rights movement have also informed the government that they mean to talk about problems faced by Pashtuns all over the country, therefore, the jirga should be represented by nominees from all over the country.
So far, PTM’s nominees have been selected from three provinces, including FATA.