SWAT: The Swat Qaumi Jirga on Tuesday voiced deep alarm over escalating terrorism incidents and deteriorating law and order situation across the Malakand division, piling criticism over what it said the perceived inaction and ‘non-seriousness’ of both the federal and provincial governments.

Speaking at a news conference at the Swat Press Club, jirga members, including Mukhtiar Khan Yousafzai, Khurshid Kaka Ji, and Haji Zahid Khan, announced that they would convene a major jirga at the divisional level in December unless immediate and practical measures were initiated against terrorists.

“The rising incidents of terrorism have triggered significant unrest among the public,” they noted and recalled the assurances given four months ago by the commissioner Malakand and the Swat deputy commissioner to restore peace and eliminate terrorists within one month, yet the situation has only worsened.

The jirga vehemently condemned recent terrorist acts, including the assassination attempt on their own leader, Mumtaz Ali Khan. “The ground reality contradicts official claims about the police force’s capability to counter the threat,” they argued and said it reinforced the impression of governmental neglect.

Mr Yousafzai went on to allege that the current instability was a continuation of policies from the previous PTI government, claiming that certain groups were deliberately brought back to Swat from Afghanistan under the supervision of former ISI chief Gen retired Faiz Hameed and Barrister Saif, a government adviser in the previous government, a move the jirga had vehemently opposed through historic protests at the time.

Declaring that any further attempts to destabilise Swat and Malakand were unacceptable, the jirga demanded that the central and provincial authorities take immediate, concrete, serious, and conclusive action to ensure peace in the region.

“If their demand is not met, the December Loya Jirga will take decisive, national-level steps against terrorism and its perpetrators,” they warned.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2025