KP CM demands deployment of FC to ensure peace

PESHAWAR:

As the death toll in the days-long clashes in Kurram crossed the 100 mark, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur asked the federal government to provide Frontier Corps (FC) platoons to maintain peace in the province, setting aside differences political for the greater good.

Speaking at a grand jirga convened in Kohat to address the ongoing conflict in Kurram district on Saturday, Gandapur said, “Political differences between the federal and provincial governments are secondary. The priority must be peace in the region and for that the federal government must be deployed. FC platoons”.

He instructed security personnel to adopt a zero-tolerance approach, saying anyone who disturbs the peace will be treated as a terrorist.

Since Saturday, two more people have been killed and 10 injured in firing incidents in Kurram district.

Hospital sources said that in the last 10 days, the death toll has risen to 124, with 178 injured.

Meanwhile, the burnt bodies of four kidnapped persons have been recovered.

Mobile phone and internet services remain suspended and educational institutions in the district are closed.

The chief minister assured the jirga that the provincial government, with the support of the army, police and local administration, was making concerted efforts to establish lasting peace in the area.

He also said that at the request of the provincial government, the army was deployed in the area to support peace efforts alongside the police and local administration.

The chief minister also instructed the authorities to dismantle all bunkers in the region without discrimination. “The local community must identify those responsible for disturbing the peace, while local elders play their part in eliminating animosity and promoting reconciliation between the warring parties,” he urged.

Gandapur further ordered the collection of heavy weapons from residents, including weapons owned by communities in border areas.

The chief minister urged both sides in the conflict to adopt the path of dialogue, saying violence was never the solution.

“Negotiations are the only way forward and we are committed to resolve this issue peacefully through jirga traditions,” he said. He called on the local leadership to play an active role in eliminating animosity and encouraging reconciliation between the conflicting parties.

Furthermore, Gandapur ordered the administration to collect heavy weapons from residents in the area, including weapons owned by communities along the border.

He assured the Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) in the conflict-affected areas that funds for their rehabilitation would be released on priority and their dignified return would be ensured.

“Lasting peace is in the interest of the community, the region and the government,” he added.

During the grand jirga, senior officials from the divisional and district administrations briefed the Chief Minister on the latest law and order developments, ceasefire efforts and government initiatives aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region.

Prominent participants in the jirga include MLAs Shehryar Khan Afridi, Hamid Hussain and Yusuf Khan, Provincial Cabinet members Aftab Alam Khan Afridi, Pakhtoon Yar Khan, Advocate Muhammad Ali Saif, MPA Shafi Jan, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan, Home Affairs Chief Secretary Muhammad Abid Majeed and other senior officials.