Pashtun jirga challenges Pakistan's authority, demands army's exit and autonomy

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan] October 15 : The recently held Pashtun Jirga, organized by the outlawed Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), has issued a sharp ultimatum to the Pakistani military and terrorists, demanding their withdrawal from Pashtun-inhabited areas within two months.
The three-day gathering laid bare the growing discontent within the Pashtun community, reflecting the deepening fractures in Pakistan's internal governance and security policies, Dawn reported.
Despite the presence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur at the event's conclusion, the jirga's resolutions underscored the diminishing influence of the Pakistani state in tribal regions.
PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen announced the creation of an unarmed tribal Lashkar, comprising 3,000 volunteers, to manage security and resolve local disputes, exposing the Pashtun community's mistrust of both the military and terrorists.
According to Dawn report, the demand for military withdrawal raised critical questions about who would guarantee security in the volatile region. While the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has yet to respond to the jirga's demands, Gandapur sidestepped any endorsement of the withdrawal and stressed that the military was deployed at the provincial government's request under the Action in Aid of Civil Power regulations.
His response reflected the state's unwillingness to confront the military's presence, highlighting Islamabad's eroding control over the region.
The jirga's declaration also included economic demands that directly challenged Islamabad. It sought free electricity for tribal districts, discounted power for the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and threatened to cut off power supplies to other provinces if these demands were ignored, Dawn reported.
Pashteen further demanded unrestricted cross-border trade with Afghanistan and visa-free movement for Pashtuns, reviving British-era policies that undermined Pakistan's border regulations.
According to Dawn report, the jirga also called for a judicial commission to investigate the deaths of Pashtuns over the past two decades of military operations and militancy. The gathering demanded the release of all political prisoners and warned that any action taken against PTM, its members, or sympathizers would provoke a "befitting response."
Pashteen's call for Pashtuns to return their identity cards if blocked cards of "suspected" Pashtuns are not restored signals a serious confrontation brewing with the central government. His speech, received with thunderous applause, marked a symbolic rejection of Pakistan's policies towards the region.
The jirga's resolutions reflect rising frustrations among the Pashtun community, further straining Pakistan's fragile internal stability. With tensions between the state and PTM escalating, Pakistan faces the risk of deeper unrest in one of its most strategically sensitive regions.