Lawmakers urge PA body on security
Opposition parties in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have once again proposed the formation of a full House Committee to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the newly merged districts, following a Pashtun Tahafuz Movement jirga.
They also called on the government to immediately convene an all-parties conference (APC) to bring together all political parties on this issue. During the assembly session, opposition members expressed concerns that the people of the province feel insecure and are filled with anger.
They stressed the need to convene a political APC to address the worsening security situation in the merged districts.
ANP Parliamentary Leader Arbab Usman, speaking on a point of order, said that rebellion incidents in the merged districts have increased over the past two months, making it appear as though there is no government authority there.
He suggested that an APC should be immediately convened to prevent further deterioration and that all members should visit the affected areas in a show of solidarity. He also questioned why there has been no investigation into the Bara checkpoint incident and demanded compensation for the families of the martyrs, warning that conditions are slipping out of control in the merged districts.
PPP MPA Ahmed Kundi stated that these incidents are not limited to the tribal district of Khyber, and that the entire province, from Chitral to Waziristan, is engulfed by terrorism, leaving people insecure. He mentioned the recent public protests in Bannu as a reflection of this insecurity and emphasised that the strategy devised for the PTM jirga should be continued, as all other efforts are secondary if citizens' safety cannot be guaranteed.
'Due to the security situation, courts in Tank have been relocated to Dera Ismail Khan, underscoring the gravity of the situation."
MPA Ali Hadi pointed out that even in the recent past, civilians have been targeted in Kurram despite the government's presence, with no serious punishment meted out to those involved.