PESHAWAR: An important meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee was held here on Friday at Chief Minister’s Secretariat with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair.
The meeting was attended by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, provincial cabinet members Aftab Alam, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, and Muzammil Aslam, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Omer Ahmed Bukhari, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Muhammad Abid Majeed, and other senior civil and military officials.
The meeting began with a prayer and paying tributes to the martyrs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the security forces. The forum reviewed the prevailing situation in district Kurram and after extensive deliberations a comprehensive strategy was finalised to address the ongoing issues in the area on permanent basis.
It was decided in the meeting that both parties involved in the Kurram conflict will voluntarily surrender their weapons under a mutual agreement facilitated by the government.
A detailed plan for de-weaponization is to be submitted within 15 days by both the conflicting parties, and all weapons must be handed over to civil administration by 1st February 2025.
Additionally, all bunkers in the area will be demolished within same timeframe. The forum decided that on humanitarian grounds, road connectivity of the area will be temporarily reopened with intervals, with strict security protocols in place, and Joint security for convoys will be provided by police and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.
Moreover, air service will also be started on an emergency basis to address the transportation issue of the general public for which helicopters would be provided by federal and provincial governments.
The forum urged upon both the parties to avoid any violent act, otherwise the administration will be left with no option but to close the road connectivity again. Similarly, it was also decided to block all social media accounts spreading sectarian hatred in the region.
The meeting also reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in Tirah and Jani Khel areas, and it was decided that temporary evacuations could be carried out in some areas to clean the areas of miscreants and ensure the safety of residents. Local communities were urged to cooperate with the government in expelling miscreants from their areas.
The Apex Committee emphasised that Kurram issue was not just a local but a national issue of serious nature adding that no one would be allowed to make political point scoring on the issue. It was stated that both the provincial and federal governments and other stakeholders were united in their approach to address the issue.
The forum dismissed the claims that deaths of children in the area occurred due to negligence, and termed it as baseless. It was acknowledged that the provincial government has made all possible efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully through Jirgas.
The forum expressed hope that both the parties would cooperate with the government to ensure a lasting solution.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to uphold writ of the government in the area, and use all available options to bring back normalcy to the area, and mitigate the sufferings of local population.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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