Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, while talking to the media on Adiala Road, expressed serious concern over the situation in Tirah, saying that developments there were not taking place with the consent of local elders.
Responding to a question about reports that a people’s jirga in Tirah had supported the ongoing operation, Raja said there were different types of jirgas, including public jirgas and official jirgas, some of which were organised by the government itself. He maintained that claiming consensus was misleading, as around 173,000 people had been displaced from Tirah, indicating the gravity of the situation.
“The situation in Tirah is very worrying. Convening an official jirga will not solve the issue,” he said, adding that he was not yet aware of the details of discussions held between the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on the matter. He said he would meet the chief minister later in the evening.
Raja stated that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had maintained his position that the Rs4 billion funds received were not meant for any operation.
He also recalled that in 2014, the government had promised Rs400,000 compensation to displaced persons, which, he claimed, was never paid.
Commenting on internal party matters, Raja responded to statements attributed to Aleema Khan regarding Mashal Yousafzai, saying that the founder PTI’s sisters were a “stronghold of sincerity” for the party founder.
He said loyalty to Imran Khan could not be associated with falsehood, adding that Mashal’s statement regarding announcement of Aleema Khan about ending a sit-in outside Adiala Jail was “completely false.”
He further termed statements by Mashal Malik as absurd and based on lies, asserting that those who lie would have to answer for it. Raja claimed that Mashal Yousafzai would be asked to clear her position after February 8.
Referring to communication constraints, he said many matters could not be discussed over the phone, adding that the status of their phones was known to everyone. He said that all cases of PTI’s founder were being contested, including cases where there appeared to be little hope of justice.