KOHAT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday ordered dismantling of bunkers and collection of heavy arms from the local population as he attended a jirga here to restore calm to Kurram tribal district where 10-day-long violence has claimed 124 lives and left several others injured.
“This should be done without any discrimination. Anyone who takes up arms will be treated as a terrorist. His fate will be that of a terrorist,” he warned while addressing the members of the jirga constituted by the KP government to restore peace and resolve the issues faced by the people of the Kurram district.
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 attended the jirga.
The chief minister directed the law enforcement agencies to treat any individual disrupting peace as a terrorist.
He said the security forces were deployed in the area at the request of the provincial government to restore peace. “The security forces, police and civil administration are making coordinated efforts to restore complete peace in the district,” said Gandapur.
The chief minister urged the federal government to deploy additional FC platoons to support peace initiatives as requested by the provincial government.
He directed the Grand Jirga to remain active in the area until complete peace was restored, 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 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.
The chief minister said violence and conflict were not a solution 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. Earlier, senior officials from the divisional and district administrations briefed the chief minister on the latest situation of law and order in the area, the ceasefire between rival parties, and government efforts to ensure lasting peace there.
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