ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel, on Tuesday, raised alarm over the rising incidents of target killings in the erstwhile FATA and asked the government to take immediate measures with regard to the law and order situation in the merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions, which met with Senator Hilalur Rehman in the chair, discussed the prevailing law and order situation in the merged districts, particularly the rising incidents of target killings of tribal notables.
Senior police officers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa gave a detailed briefing to the committee who stated 11 citizens, including three in Bajaur, one in Khyber, and seven in North Waziristan from different walks of life were targeted in the year 2022.
They said that in 2022, around 187 proclaimed offenders were arrested in all the merged districts so far compared to seven for the year 2021.
They maintained that major crimes such as murders and attempted murders have shown a downward trend in a majority of the merged districts in 2022 as compared to 2021.
They apprised the committee that the law enforcement agencies seized 2,550 kg charas, 432 kg opium, 166.9 kg heroin, and121 kg Ice in the year 2022.
The committee was told that in the year 2022, 553 weapons and 54,979 kg ammunition in different times were recovered. They said that nearly all the merged districts are bordering Afghanistan which has an impact on the security situation.
During 2022, the officials said that 16 police officials have lost their lives in the line of duty in the merged districts.
The officials further stated that the main challenge is the incidents of target killings which need to be addressed by forming a more robust and proactive infrastructure.
They said that the federal government should play its role to strengthen the police department. They also pointed out that several police personnel have also been targeted during the polio vaccination campaigns.
The officials told the committee that after the merger of ex-FATA with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 24,124 officials have completed their basic training, while 1,152 are undergoing training in police training schools.
On the matter of vacation of ancestral home – Panakot Rest House, Upper Dir – the matter was deferred for further deliberation. The Upper Dir deputy commissioner told the committee that during the recent insurgency, the Pakistan Army established a brigade headquarters at Panakot, on the directions of the provincial government.
He said that the Upper Dir deputy commissioner has vacated the building and he is currently residing in the district lodge due to the absence of any residence.
The committee also adopted a report of its sub-panel on the States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) to look into the procedure and utilisation of funds to check the onground availability of development schemes in the merged districts.
The report was adopted unanimously with recommendations by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi to make special re-visits by the committee on selected projects.
The subcommittee in its report assured its support to the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in order to raise issue of allocation of three percent of the divisible pool by the NFC.
Senator Sania Nishtar, the convener of the subcommittee, said a GIS system should be integrated with work schemes and system of loading of images should be introduced.
She also recommended that the procurement must be made strictly in accordance with the KPPPRA [Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority] rules.
The meeting was attended by Sania Nishtar, Baharamand Khan Tangi, Shamim Afridi, Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Gurdeep Singh, HidayatUllah, and Syed Mohammad Sabir Shah.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022