F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan and Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman jointly presided over a meeting of Apex committee that reviewed the scenario arisen out of the Supreme Court decision striking down the interim arrangements for the seven merged districts and made a number of decisions for the infrastructure development in erstwhile FATA including the Frontier Regions.
The apex committee approved creation of 17 thousand additional posts in different departments to be proportionally distributed amongst the seven new districts.
Core Commander Peshawar Shaheen Mazhar Mahmood, Provincial Ministers Muhammad Atif Khan, Shahram Khan Tarakai, Shaukat Yousafzai, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Hasham Inamullah Advisor to CM on merged districts Ajmal Khan Wazir, Chief Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, Additional Chief Secretary Shehzad Bangash, IGP Salahuddin Mehsud, IG FC Major General Rahat Naseem, Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Latif Yousafzai and others government and military functionaries attended.
The meeting took for debate overall merger plan for developmental integration of erstwhile FATA, induction of levies and Khasadar into the regular police, creation of posts in police ,education, health and other sectors.
The meeting agreed to facilitate extension of judicial system of the country and the province to the seven new districts as after repelling of Article 247 of the constitution, merged areas have become the part of province and therefore the existing in vogue laws would be applicable to the new districts. The meeting was briefed about the possible issues and the remedial measures as a way forward to overcome challenges.
The Chief Minister advised to focus on the developmental integration of the people,time tagged implementation process on the decision of Supreme Court, taking care of administrative matters without any wastage of time so that the supreme court decision is implemented in letter and spirit.
The meeting discussed the possible irritants to be created by the forces of status quo and thoroughly debated step by step and the long term approach so that no vacuum prevailed both legally and administratively.
The meeting agreed to notify the extension of judiciary. The Chief Minister said that we have to take result oriented approach as a knee jerk reaction could backfire in the process of implementation. We have to win the hearts and minds of the people within the interim period and we have to manage the challenging issues.
The meeting agreed to the induction of levies and Khasadar into the regular police following the set criteria making legislation for the induction of federal force into provincial force as per the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan who pledged the people of erstwhile FATA during his visit. The additional posts to be created in different public sector institutions would also be offered to the locals.
The Chief Minister advised the participants to look into the administrative and political challenges removing the uncertainty.
The meeting also agreed to construction of judicial complexes, 12 thousands levies and 18 thousands Khasadar and approval to the six thousand additional force to be proportionally distributed among the new districts.
It also agreed to the sequential induction of police in the merged districts and approved skeleton staff both for the judiciary and police for smooth facilitation. The meeting agreed to the announcement of a full package covering developmental side of the merger and mainstreaming side for the rehabilitation and repatriation of affectees, reconstruction of their houses, provision of basic facilities including health and education.
The chief minister agreed to generate resources for the provision of all basic facilities however these activities should be completed under timelines and for which necessary PC-1 should be completed.
The meeting was informed that ban has been lifted from the post of BPS-1 to BPS-15 and recruitment would be made on these posts as expeditiously as possible.
However recruitment of Post BPS 16 and above would be made through public service commission. Sehat Insaf Card would be extended within one and half month up to five lakh families.
The meeting directed to communicate to the federal government for early implementation on the schemes. The solarization of different projects were also cleared by the meeting.
It also agreed to the creation of 2384 posts for which SNEs should be prepared on war footings. The Chief Minister said that with these steps the people of the backward areas would receive immediate relief.
The Chief Minister also directed the health department to make functional the trauma centre in Parachinar of Kurram district and necessary steps should immediately be taken. He also directed the health department to take over hospitals Kurram, Miran Shah, Mohmand and prepare PC-1 to arrange basic requirements in these hospitals. The Chief Minister also directed the quarter concerned for the accelerated movement on the medical college, teaching hospital and a University announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to erstwhile FATA. PC-1 should be prepared for these projects and added that he himself would inaugurate these projects.
Regarding the extension of IMU to the merged districts, the Chief Minister expressed his optimism that this would bring positive impact in the education sector. The schools in the erstwhile FATA could be made functional and the presence of teachers could be ensured adding that the relevant quarter should pay surprise visits to ensure the functionalisation of schools up to capacity. We would move from paper work to actual ground and the existing policy in this regard would be extended to the newly merged districts.
The meeting also highlighted the repatriation of affectees and the Chief Minister directed for a full survey covering all damages, administrative and other issues in order to give a compensation package to the affectees in this regard. It also agreed to the food package and assistance allowance to be carried out by the relief department.
The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to hold a meeting of health and education department and find out the real issues and finalize the recommendations that he would approve. He directed to take over all the ongoing schemes which have been 80% completion in different sectors.
