PPP Nominates Babar As Party Representative For PTM Jirga

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday nominated former Senator Farhatullah Babar to a jirga negotiating between the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and the state, a press release from the party said.

The announcement was made after PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen called Bilawal on the phone to request Babar’s inclusion in the mediator body.

“During the talk, Bilawal Bhutto said that PPP believes in the peaceful resolution of issues through dialogue and negotiations and he was happy to nominate Farhatullah Babar to the PTM reconciliatory jirga,” the release said.The former senator will join a long list of 20 people already nominated by the PTM for the jirga, which includes PTM leaders  excluding Pashteen as well as members of other political parties, including Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

PTM, which had started off with five demands including bringing to justice the murderers of Waziristan native Naqeebullah Mehsud, removal of landmines and release of missing persons, is now calling for a truth and reconciliation commission to address all issues facing Pakhtuns in the country.