Civil-military huddle on K-P security

CM chairs Apex Committee meeting attended by Peshawar corps commander, IGP, others

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the military officials held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the security situation and ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the province.

Sohail Afridi chaired the first Apex Committee meeting after becoming the chief minister of the province.

The moot lasted for three-and-a-half hour and was attended by Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Omer Ahmed Bukhari, Chief Secretary Shahabullah Shahab, K-P Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, Federal Constabulary IG, and other senior officials.

During the session, the chief minister was briefed on the law and order situation across the province, ongoing development projects in the merged districts, and the rising incidents of terrorism in tribal and southern districts.

The officials also reviewed the progress of operations against terrorists in the affected areas.

Relief package

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has raised the relief package for operation-affected families in Kurram from Rs110,000 to Rs230,000, extending the benefit to displaced persons living with host families.

The announcement followed K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi's visit to Kurram on Wednesday, where he met temporarily displaced persons (TDPs), heard their grievances and ordered their immediate redress.

The top provincial official said all affected families would be provided assistance on the same pattern as that extended to displaced persons from Khyber district.

Thousands of people have been temporarily displaced from various regions of the province due to intelligence-based operations aimed at flushing out terrorists.

During his visit to Kurram on Thursday, Chief Minister Afridi emphasizing social harmony, said society must move forward by setting aside mutual and sectarian differences and focusing on development and prosperity.

He also announced the resolution of the long standing issue of dual addresses of tribal displaced persons.

While speaking to the affected families, the chief minister assured them that all their demands would be reviewed in detail and that all relief packages would be extended to them on the pattern of District Khyber.

Addressing the gathering, he stated that the K-P government would not abandon the victims and would ensure all possible assistance.