Rs5m prize: Khattak backs longer tenure for military courts

Says K-P security forces coordinating with each other

SHABQADAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak has endorsed a longer tenure for military courts while announcing a prize of Rs5 million for the Charsadda police officials who managed to foil the terrorist attack on Tuesday.

He was speaking with media persons after visiting the civil courts at Tangi.

“The government wants quick justice whether by civil or military courts,” Pervaiz Khattak  told media representatives.

“We have implemented the National Action Plan (NAP) in true spirit … Under NAP, all law-enforcement agencies in the province are cooperating and coordinating with each other,” he said. “We are discussing all issues in the apex committee and there is no complaint regarding NAP implementation in the K-P,” he said.



Without specifying any country, the chief minister said that terrorism was being planned across the border.

According to him, terrorists had strong support, but the government was fully capable of curbing terrorism.

“We will eliminate terrorism … All those who support terrorism are our country’s enemies.”

Asserting that he would soon disclose details of the investigation into the Charsadda blast, he praised the local police and announced Rs5 million in prize money for those officials who foiled the terrorism attempt.

Insisting that the provincial police was a non-political entity, he said that police were better than before and on Tuesday, they proved it.

He prayed for the departed souls of all those who died in the Tuesday blast. Commenting on the CPEC project, he said that it would attract $30 billion investment in the province by June this year.

Criticising Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said that he had kept Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the dark over CPEC matters.

He also visited the house of JUI-F MPA Fazal Shakoor Khan.

Later, he inaugurated the Rescue 1122 service for Charsadda and announced upgrading the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital, setting up a digital library in the district and a cricket stadium.



He also inaugurated the recently-built Wali Khan Sports Complex.

QWP leader Aftab Sherpao also visited Tangi and met with families of the martyrs in the area, and also condoled with lawyers at Tangi courts, while talking to media he criticised the failure to implement NAP and added that if it was implemented in its true spirit then there will be no need of military courts.

He demanded action against all forms of terrorism, and demanded that Nato should also act against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, while cooperating with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the issue of eliminating terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2017.