Assembly forms law & order panel

Lawmakers unite across party lines on security

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has decided to form a parliamentary committee to address the province's deteriorating law and order situation, calling for collective efforts to restore peace.

The committee will oversee measures taken for maintaining peace and stability across the province. Rules and terms of reference for the committee will be finalized in the next session, and an official notification will be issued accordingly.

During Friday's assembly session, chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Law Minister Aftab Alam proposed suspending the routine proceedings to hold a debate on the worsening security situation. A prayer was also offered for victims of recent terrorist attacks.

Leader of the Opposition, Dr Ibadullah, said the House must conduct discussions that restore public trust. He stressed that unless lawmakers show seriousness about public issues, they cannot earn people's confidence. "We must unite on a single-point agenda for peace, but unfortunately, we remain divided," he said, adding that the lack of unity opens the door for other forces to intervene. He criticized the chief minister's inconsistent statements on security matters and said 95 per cent of debates in the House are irrelevant. "India has now taken the CM's remarks to FATF, threatening Pakistan's hard-earned exit from the grey list," he warned.

PPP Parliamentary Leader Ahmad Karim Kundi said that people from Chitral to Waziristan are protesting, yet the provincial government has failed to restore peace. "This government is the product of political generals," he said, accusing the CM of backtracking on the Peace Jirga's charter. "By morning, his statements change," he added.

Government MPA Ajmal Khan said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is passing through a historically difficult time. "There is a climate of fear in Bajaur," he said, calling for implementation of promises made during the FATA merger. He emphasized the need for dialogue with Afghanistan and for providing shelter and necessities to displaced residents.

PTI's Shafiullah criticized repeated military operations in tribal and border regions. "Why are only our people turned into IDPs whenever foreign interests need to be satisfied?" he asked. "Despite a heavily funded border fence, why are terrorists still returning to our land?" He condemned the decades-long suffering of the Pashtun people and stressed that peace must come through negotiation, not force.

ANP MPA Arbab Usman said parliamentarians are being disrespected. "Our job isn't to build drains or streets; it's to legislate," he said. "We should compare ourselves with nations like Bangladesh or Afghanistan, but first, we must act like Pakistanis. Our human capital is our greatest asset."

The K-P Assembly session ended with a rare display of cross-party consensus on the need for unified political action to restore peace in the province.