K-P govt forms advisory board to address local community's concerns

Apex committee agrees to bring Levies, Khasadar forces within ambit of the Constitution

PESHAWAR: Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Shah Farman on Thursday constituted a three-member advisory board aimed at protecting tribal traditional, culture and control post-merger in K-P and ex-Federal Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

A notification released by the governor revealed that former Ambassadors to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand, Mir Laiq Shah and Sangi Marjan are members of the board.

The advisory board will be chaired by former chief secretary Umar Afridi.



The notification further read that the board will propose a comprehensive dispute resolution mechanism to resolve civil and criminal disputes in accordance with local customs and tradition.

It further stated that the advisory will communicate with the government and address issues emerging out of the merger between K-P and the tribal districts.

On law enforcement, the board shall institute a force to organise exclusive training for paramilitary forces. The panel will also ensure an expeditious justice system.



Other key features of the board include outlining steps for holding local body elections and ensuring that institutions contribute to the formulation and execution of developmental schemes.

Reviews that emerged after the formation of the committee said that the board excluded youngsters. One such comment was made by Ahsan Hamid Durrani, who took to Twitter and called out that "not a single young person had been made part of the board".

A recommendation made by the board outlined that people of the erstwhile tribal areas were still deprived of civil courts.

On the other hand, an apex committee meeting attended by Shah, K-P's Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and Corps Commander Mazhar Shaheen agreed to enact laws in order to bring Levies and Khasadar forces within ambit of the Constitution.

Sources say Shah assured members of both forces would perform their duties in future.

He said that tribesmen were patriots with the government respecting their custom and tradition.

Both the forces, according to K-P Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai, will act as policing force and would fall within jurisdiction of the province's head of police.

“Both the acts will be drafted within 10 days,” Yousafzai told media persons.

"We know about the problems being faced by the tribesmen and we will expedite development activities in the erstwhile tribal areas,"  Khan said.