Centre to help K-P beat terrorism

The Prime Minister’s Steering Committee on Peace on Wednesday decided to assist the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in curbing terrorism, especially in Swat district where a string of attacks have spread panic among its residents.

On Monday, the driver of a school van was martyred and two students were injured when their vehicle came under attack by unidentified gunmen in the village of Guli Bagh – located in Mingora of Charbagh tehsil, Swat district.

A day earlier, the sit-in by the family of the driver as well as other protesters ended after the administration vowed to arrest the attackers soon.

Also on Tuesday, thousands gathered at Nishat Chowk in Minogora as ANP Provincial President Aimal Wali Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan reached Swat to join hands with the locals in their protest against the rising militancy in the district.

The steering committee’s meeting on Wednesday was chaired by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

According to a statement, the participants, who included MNA Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, MNA Khalid Hussain Magsi, MNA Mohsin Dawar, Adviser to Prime Minister Engineer Amir Muqam, former K-P governor Shaukatullah Khan and former Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah, reviewed the situation in Swat in detail.

Despite being invited, committee members PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif did not attend the huddle.

The participants of the meeting expressed their disappointment over the absence of the PTI members.

In the meeting, various proposals regarding complete control of terrorist incidents were discussed.

The issue of negotiations with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was also discussed in the huddle.

“The committee expressed concern over the increasing incidents of terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and expressed solidarity with the people of Swat against terrorism,” the statement read.

It added that all the participants had unanimously decided to provide full support for the eradication of terrorism in the province.

They also noted that instead of politics, the K-P government should ensure public order in the province and cooperate with the federal government.

“Extremism and terrorism are on the rise in K-P, but the provincial government is busy planning sit-ins against the federation,” the statement read.

Sanaullah later tweeted that the steering committee had unanimously decided to abet the provincial government in curbing terrorist activities.

“The K-P government must ensure peace in the province rather than playing petty politics in the name of a long march against the federal government,” he wrote.

He was referring to PTI chairman and deposed Imran Khan’s “real freedom” long march to the federal capital.

The minister further wrote that it was “unfortunate” that members of the committee belonging to the PTI had refused to attend the huddle.