KP CM Gandapur 'accepts' demands of Bannu Aman Jirga after late night huddle

PESHAWAR: The demands tabled by the Bannu Aman Jirga have been "accepted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur" which were placed in a meeting held earlier this week, Geo News reported citing sources on Wednesday.

The jirga's demands will be presented before the apex committee meeting expected to be held tomorrow, wherein the terms of reference (ToRs) for the constitution of a committee to probe into the Bannu incident will be discussed as well, the sources said.

The forthcoming session of the apex committee will be attended by the KP chief secretary, additional secretary home, Corps Commander Peshawar, KP Inspector General (IG), and other senior officers.

The people familiar with the meeting also said the jirga sought to dismantle armed groups operating in the province; empower police and ensure their patrolling at night; allow CTD to conduct search operations or take action against terrorists instead of security forces; and present missing persons before courts.

It was learnt that CM Gandapur responded to queries of Bannu jirga members during the meeting held late Monday.

He said that the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) cleared the air about Operation Azm-e-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability) — a new counterterrorism drive being launched in the aftermath of a surge in terrorist attacks.

The chief minister told the jirga members that the military's media wing made it clear that Azm-e-Istehkam was "not an operation but a strategy" to root out terrorism and extremism, they added.

It is noteworthy to mention here that several political parties including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), the Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and others had expressed reservations over the new operation, demanding the authorities to take parliament into confidence.

"Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation per se as it is being presented," the ISPR Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said while responding to reservations during a press conference in Rawalpindi a day ago.

While detailing the scope of the new counterterrorism drive, Gandapur reportedly told the jirga members that the KP police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) would carry out search operations while they would take assistance from the security forces as per the need.

He added that the provincial police force would take action against armed individuals. Subsequently, patrolling duties would be performed by the provincial police which will be increased.

The KP CM said that the government was strengthening the police and the CTD in Bannu by opening recruitment and handing over additional vehicles, as per the insiders.

In the same meeting, the sources said CM Gandapur assured the Bannu Aman Jirga that Jumma Khan Road will be reopened for movement soon.

While talking to Geo News today, Adviser to KP CM on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that the apex committee was an independent institution to make decisions on matters related to national security.

The CM's aide said that not only Bannu but steps will be taken to eliminate terrorism across the province.

He said: "It was important to take up the Bannu [firing] incident in the [upcoming] apex committee. The constitution of a commission on the Bannu incident will also be discussed in the apex commission’s session."

The situation turned unpleasant after the firing incident during the Bannu Aman March last week in which at least one person was killed and 22 sustained injuries during a peace march.

In the presser, the DG ISPR detailed that some armed men in the peace march opened fire, which led to the loss of life. In Bannu, the army personnel followed their response SOP accordingly, he added.

Explaining the SOP of the army, he said that whenever any "anarchist group" approaches a military installation, it is first given a warning, and then it is dealt with.

He said that as soon as this incident took place, there was a hue and cry on social media. "This shows how digital terrorists are supporting terrorists on the ground."