K-P CM accepts Bannu jirga demands

Proposals to be presented before apex committee meeting today

DI KHAN:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has accepted all demands presented by the Bannu Aman Jirga, including action against ‘good and bad’ Taliban.

Meanwhile, the police raided offices of the ‘good’ Taliban and arrested dozens of people in DI Khan district. Also, the sit-in of the Bannu Aman Jirga continued for a fifth conductive day.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the chief minister accepted all the demands of the jirga. According to the Chief Minister Secretariat, the demands accepted by the government will be placed before the K-P Apex Committee. They will also consider a move towards forming a commission related to the Bannu attack on an army cantonment which led to some casualties.

The chief minister told the members of the Aman Jirga that the ISPR had given an explanation about Operation Azm-e-Istehkam. He made it clear that it was less of an operation and more of a strategic move.

Operations continue

Police conducted raids on the ‘offices’ of armed groups and arrested various people, recovering non-custom paid vehicles. Local residents took to the streets in support of the police action, showing their appreciation of the crackdown.

According to the Bannu regional police officer, his forces raided the offices of armed groups in Bannu following public demand.

They recovered weapons from ‘offices’ and arrested dozens of people.

Police also paraded the armed members of militant groups in front of the public who shouted slogans in favour of the law enforcement officials.

Apex Committee Meeting

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Apex Committee is scheduled to meet today (Thursday), with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the chair.

Representatives from the Bannu Jirga, including K-P Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Professor Ibrahim and other members, are expected to attend.

In addition to the military leadership, the meeting will also be joined by the chief secretary and inspector general of police (IGP).

In the Apex Committee meeting, the 11 demands presented by the Bannu Jirga will be thoroughly reviewed. The Bannu Jirga has opposed Operation Azm-e-Istehkam and demanded that the good and bad Taliban centres in Bannu be removed, without targeting madrasahs, houses, and individuals in the name of search operations.

To provide security to the public, the jirga has requested that Juma Khan Road be cordoned off in Bannu. They have also demanded that notice be taken of the Taliban patrolling the area in broad daylight. It asked that the local administration be empowered to take action against such groups.

Furthermore, the jirga has called for an increase in the capacity of the local police and the provision of necessary resources to meet their needs in the fight against militancy.

The jirga stressed that the police should be empowered to take action on its own and that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) should be fully empowered against terrorists and criminal elements, independently.

They have also stressed that madrasahs and houses should not be raided without valid reason to avoid anxiety among the local residents. Additionally, the Jirga has demanded that the CTD should be empowered to carry out operations against the TTP at the local level.

Finally, they have requested that police personnel, injured in terrorism attacks, should be treated at the Combined Military Hospital.