Kundi warns of 'uncontrollable' security situation

Governor urges PA to make law and order immediate objective

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has stated that the law and order situation in the province needs to be taken seriously. He emphasised that the provincial assembly should hold discussions on a one-point agenda, warning that if the situation escalates further, it will become very difficult to control.

He stressed the need to strengthen the Kurram Peace Jirga, adding that if the Jirga's decisions are not implemented, it would be pointless. He also called for the construction of an alternative route for Kurram to prevent future unfortunate incidents on a permanent basis, and pledged to discuss this with the National Highway Authority (NHA) and other relevant authorities.

The governor highlighted the need for collective and concrete actions to ensure the proper utilisation of provincial resources and secure provincial rights. He mentioned that Sindh is enhancing its institutions for better resource management and that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also needs a team to stabilise its institutions for optimal resource utilisation.

He shared these views during a meeting with the chief editors and editors of Peshawar's newspapers at the Governor's House on Friday. A special luncheon was hosted in honor of the editors. The meeting was attended by various media representatives, including the provincial president of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Pir Haroon Shah, and the president of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Tahir Farooq. A detailed discussion on the overall situation of the province took place, focusing on law and order, economic challenges, and political conditions.

During the meeting, the governor expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and mentioned that, for the first time in history, an All Parties Conference (APC) was convened at the Governor's House to address provincial rights. It was unanimously decided to form two committees—one political and one technical—to present the province's issues to the federal government effectively and logically. He stated that these committees are actively working and will soon prepare recommendations to be sent to the federal government.

The APC agreed on the immediate release of the 11th NFC Award, as well as the release of the 3% NFC allocation for the former FATA region, which has not been provided for the past five years. He stressed the need for the implementation of the Sartaj Aziz Committee's recommendations, adjustments to the new NFC Award based on the province's population census, and the inclusion of forestry and environmental factors in the NFC formula. He also called for federal infrastructure support for the province's share of water resources as outlined in the 1991 Water Accord.

Addressing the situation in the merged district of Kurram, the governor expressed regret over the recent incidents and criticized the provincial chief minister for not addressing the matter seriously.