Aimless war: Centre holds key to peace in K-P, says Khattak

Says big challenge of restoring peace is not in control of the provincial government.

ISLAMABAD:

Peace in the province is linked with ‘unrest in the tribal areas’ and ‘drone attacks’ and to address these issues is the exclusive responsibility of the federal government, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak.

“Though we are taking (limited) steps for peace by introducing reforms in police and intelligence network, the centre has to take the major initiative,” Khattak said on Saturday.

Talking to a group of journalists at K-P House in Islamabad he said the big challenge of restoring peace is not in control of the provincial government.

There are number of limitations the provincial government faces in K-P such as the provincial authorities cannot enter the federal tribal areas in hot pursuit of terrorists, he said.

He said the use of force was not the key to defeating the insurgency going on K-P for over a decade.



He said the province was in a state of war keeping in view the unabated attacks by various factions of militants.

Though the war continues, other options for better solution cannot be ignored, Khattak said. “At present, we are fighting an aimless war,” he said adding, “Therefore we are the ardent supporter of talks.”

He said bloodshed in K-P would not end until a way forward was set to come out from the war that has claimed thousands of lives. “Besides our security forces and police, we Pakhtuns are the main victims of this war,” he added.

To a query regarding talks with Taliban, the chief minister said “we are not much familiar about progress but we will say ‘talks’ is the ultimate solution of this crisis.” He asked the government to start talks with Taliban without any delay.

Khattak said the provincial police was not armed ideologically and materially to fight the militancy. “The police are least concerned that we are in state of war.”

Local government system

Khattak said K-P’s local government would have meaningful devolution of powers that would see 37% of development funds directly transferred to districts and tehsils.

The other three provinces were only restoring Zia era’s local bodies’ system without devolving powers to elected representatives, such meaningless legislation could be passed in a month, he said.

The PTI government would hopefully pass a bill during the K-P Assembly session, he said.

Drone attacks

Separately, while talking to media after PTI’s core committee meeting, the K-P CM said if drone attacks were not stopped, the provincial government will disrupt Nato supply line.

Education

The K-P chief minister said the next academic -year would see a uniform education system in the province. “There are several educational systems in the country and K-P at present. We are changing the system of British era. The bilingual education system is also a matter of concern and we are turning towards English syllabus,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2013.