PESHAWAR
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Saturday visited and attended a grand jirga constituted by the provincial government to address the ongoing issues in the Kurram district.
Senior officials from the concerned divisional and district administrations briefed the Chief Minister on the latest situation of law and order in the area including ceasefire between conflicting parties and government efforts to ensure lasting peace there.
Addressing the jirga, the Chief Minister directed law enforcement agencies to treat any individual disrupting peace as a terrorist and said that the security forces are deployed in the area on the request of the provincial government to restore peace. He added that security forces, police and civil administration are making coordinated efforts to restore complete peace in the district.
The CM instructed concerned authorities to dismantle all the bunkers in the area without discrimination and urged federal government to deploy additional FC personnel to support peace initiatives.
He also directed the jirga to remain active in the area until complete peace is restored and assured them full support from the provincial government.
KP CM stressed upon local community to identify those responsible for disturbing peace and urged tribal elders to play their role in fostering harmony between rival groups. He directed the concerned administration to collect heavy weapons from the local population and also temporarily collect the arms from residents of border areas.
“Anyone who takes up arms will be treated as a terrorist and their fate will be that of a terrorist” the Chief Minister warned. He assured that funds would be released on a priority basis for the temporary displaced families and pledged the dignified return of all internally displaced persons (IDPs).
He stressed that violence and conflict are not solutions to any problem highlighting the importance of dialogue and negotiations in resolving disputes. “In line with Pashtun traditions, we are making every effort to resolve this issue peacefully through the jirga,” he added. He said that both the sides should cooperate with the administration and jirga to ensure sustainable peace which is in the best interest of both the region and the government as well.
Members of National Assembly Shehryar Khan Afridi, Hamid Hussain and Yousuf Khan, provincial cabinet members including Aftab Alam Khan Afridi, Pakhtoon Yar Khan, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, MPA, Shafi Jan, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, Additional Chief Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs Muhammad Abid Majeed, and other relevant officials also attended the jirga.
