LAKKI MARWAT: The Bannu Qaumi Jirga has decided to approach the district administration for the implementation of its 16-point charter of demands approved by the provincial apex committee and discuss with authorities the other issues relating to the law and order situation and release of its arrested leader Samad Khan.

The jirga met at the press club building in Bannu city on Friday and discussed matters pertaining to law and order and implementation of the approved charter of demands.

Some members opposed the idea of taking up issues with authorities and urged the elders to launch street protests.

Noted among participants were MPA Adnan Khan Wazir, city council chairman Irfan Durrani, Kakki tehsil council chairman Junaid Rashid, Domel tehsil council chairman Israr Khan Wazir, elders Dr Pir Sahib Zaman, Malik Moeez Khan, Malik Naimat Ali and Malik Mir Shamad Khan, former tehsil nazim Malik Ihsan Khan, bar association president Shah Qayaz Bacha, and notables Nasir Khan Bangash, Ghulam Qeebaz Khan, Abdul Rauf Quraishi, Malik Salimur Rehman, Jamshed Khan and Mureed Hayat.

Malik Moeez Khan later told reporters that the jirga discussed all issues in detail and took decisions about them with consensus.

He said that the jirga leaders didn’t want a clash between local residents and government institutions.

Mr Khan said that the government had initiated various actions against elders including placing the names of some of them in Schedule IV.

He criticised authorities for shifting key jirga member Abdul Samad Khan from one city to the other after his arrest in baseless cases around two months ago.

The elder said that the residents had neither seen any improvement in the law and order situation nor implementation of the 16-point charter of demands approved by the provincial government.

“After reviewing the situation from all angles, the elders have decided to meet the commissioner and officials of the district administration on Monday,” he said.

He said that the elders would formulate the future line of action if the meeting with authorities didn’t bear fruit.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2025