The joint tribal jirga, led by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and comprising both government and opposition members, has declared civilian casualties resulting from terrorism and drone strikes as unacceptable, stating that tribal communities cannot be forced to pay a double price of insecurity.

Participants of the jirga emphasized that whether it is terrorism or drone strikes, targeting innocent civilians in either case is intolerable.

Members stated that despite modern technology, repeated loss of civilian lives under the guise of “mistakes” cannot be accepted, and mere apologies cannot compensate for such damages.

According to them, the continuation of such incidents reflects systemic failure and must be stopped immediately.

Also Read : Khyber: 12-year-old girl killed, 6 injured as mortar shell hits house in Bara Akakhel

Sohail Afridi said that in view of the situation, key decisions have been made, including convening a special session of the provincial assembly on Thursday, a special cabinet meeting on Friday, and a grand tribal jirga at the Chief Minister’s House on Saturday.

The meeting also decided to postpone the Chief Minister’s planned visit to Lahore in order to focus fully on the law and order situation in the province.

Sohail Afridi stated that the province cannot afford further instability and that decision-makers must understand that people’s lives are not cheap.

He added that Rs26 billion has been allocated this year to further strengthen the province’s capacity to combat terrorism, particularly for the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Special Branch.

The jirga also agreed to adopt a joint strategy, rising above political affiliations, to eliminate terrorism, ensure the protection of civilians, and establish lasting peace.