KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi Addresses Historic Khyber Peace Jirga, Demands Federal Government Release Tribal Districts’ Dues

Independent Report
By Aman Ali Shinwari

Khyber, Oct 2025: A grand Peace Jirga was held in Bara, Khyber District under the auspices of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), attended by thousands of locals, tribal elders, parliamentarians, and senior leaders, including KP Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, MNA Iqbal Afridi, MPA Abdul Ghani Afridi, Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Senator Pir Dr. Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, and MPA Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri.

Addressing the jirga, Chief Minister Afridi highlighted the sacrifices of the tribal people for Pakistan, emphasizing that the time has come to fulfill the promises made at the time of merger. He called on the federal government to immediately release 55 billion PKR in pending dues for tribal districts and 2200 billion PKR from the Net Hydro Power projects, stressing that the tribal population deserves their constitutional and economic rights.

He announced that Peace Jirgas will be held across all merged tribal districts, culminating in a grand Loya Jirga to devise a joint strategy for sustainable peace and development. Chief Minister Afridi noted that 80,000 lives were sacrificed by KP residents for the country, and while peace was established with blood, attempts are still being made to destabilize the region.

Afridi made it clear that the provincial government will not allow any new military operation without consulting elected representatives and local elders, asserting that all decisions must be transparent and inclusive. He emphasized that the tribal population does not seek charity, but their rightful share, and the jirga participants responded with chants of “Saada Haq Aate Rakh” (Give us our rights).

Concluding his address, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to fight for the rights of the tribal districts throughout his tenure and urged the federal government to allocate their fair share in development budgets to eliminate deprivation and ensure sustainable peace