F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The 11th meeting of Provincial Task Force (PTF) on merged districts was held here on Monday with caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan in the chair. The meeting reviewed in detail progress on various social sector developmental projects, matters related to the capacity building of police force, initiatives for economic revival and other related matters of the merged areas.; and a number of important decision were taken.
Besides caretaker Provincial Ministers Aamir Abdullah and Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel, the meeting was attended by Corps. Commander Peshawar Lt. Gen. Hassan Azhar Hayat, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General Police KP, Akhtar Hayat Khan and other civil and military high ups. Concerned Divisional Commissioners, Regional Police Officers, Deputy Commissioners and District Police officers attended the meeting via video links.
The participants were briefed about the implementation status of the decisions taken in the last meeting of the forum. It was decided in the meeting to upscale the overall capacity of police in merged district to enable it effectively deal with the prevailing situation there; and it was agreed to take special measures to strengthen the police in all aspects including transport, communication, training etc. in these areas.
The concerned authorities were directed for necessary steps to absorb the remaining Levies/Khasadar personnel into regular police, and expedite new recruitment against the sectioned vacancies in police. They were further directed for required measures for raising Elite Force in these areas and for proper arrangement of their professional training. The forum agreed to the provision of required funds for the capacity building of police in merged areas on priority basis.
The forum decided in principle to absorb Malakand Levies into regular police and directed that a committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Home will come up with workable recommendations after looking into the legal and technical aspects of the matter. Similarly, the meeting decided to withdraw police personnel deputed with unauthorized individuals for security purpose, and the concerned quarters were directed to prepare a list of all such unauthorized deployment.
Moreover, it was decided in principle to establish a high security prison at provincial level, whereas the concerned quarters were directed to expedite the process of establishing Forensic Science Laboratory and implementation of Safe City Peshawar Project. It was decided in the meeting to create the required vacancies of district administrations and other line departments for the newly created district South Waziristan (Upper), and the concerned authorities were directed for necessary action to this end. Similarly, it was decided to take up with Peshawar High Court the issue of shifting of judicial officers and other staff to South Waziristan, North Waziristan and Orakzai districts.
The forum also reviewed progress on land settlement project in merged districts, and the concerned high ups were directed to engage the local tribal elders for consultation, and come up with workable proposals to settle the land disputes leading to law and order situation in certain areas of the merged districts. The forum was also briefed about the proposed Socio-Economic Development Plan for merged districts, and it was decided that Steering Committee constituted for the merged districts will give final touches to the plan and present the same for formal approval.
The forum stressed the need of renewal of contracts of eight outsourced hospitals under Public Private Partnership in the merged districts so that quality healthcare services are ensured to the local people. The forum was told that special education plan has been devised for the promotion of education sector in merged areas which will be presented in the next meeting of the forum for approval. It was decided in the meeting to hold the meetings of the PTF in two months on regular basis.
Talking on this occasion, the Chief Minister termed the accelerated development of the Merged Areas as one of the top priorities of the provincial government; and said that special attention and measures are required to bring these backward areas at par with other developed parts of the province adding that maintaining law and order in the merged areas is the top most priority of the provincial government, and all the required resources will be provided for the purpose.
Azam Khan lauded the role and efforts of security forces in restoring peace in these areas, and remarked that the provincial government highly valued the role of security forces. The Chief Minister maintained that the province is heavily dependent on federal transfers for it revenue, but due to nonpayment of its shares in various heads by the federal government, the provincial government is facing financial crunches which is badly effecting the overall development process of the province specially the merged areas. “The caretaker provincial government, since the very first day of its inception, has been taking up the issue with centre and will continue to do so in the coming days so that the province could be steered out of the financial crunches”, he concluded.
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