F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, visited Kohat on Saturday to attend 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, the 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, and added that security forces, police and civil administration are making coordinated efforts to restore complete peace in the district.
The Chief Minister instructed concerned authorities to dismantle all the bunkers in the area without discrimination, and urged the federal government to deploy additional FC platoons to support peace initiatives as requested by the provincial government. He also directed the Grand Jirga to remain active in the area until complete peace is restored there assuring full support from the provincial government.
Gandapur called on the 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, and urged both the sides to 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 the National Assembly Shehryar Khan Afridi, Hamid Hussain, and Yousuf Khan, along with provincial cabinet members 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.
