Peace prerogative: Apex committee says it won’t rule out force

K-P governor insists that giving peace a chance shouldn’t be taken as a sign of weakness.

PESHAWAR:

Faced with an onslaught of deadly terrorist attacks and growing fears over security, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) apex committee has warned the government’s detractors that its peace overtures should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

Chaired by K-P Governor Engineer Shaukatullah Khan, the 35th apex committee meeting of the province was convened on Monday and was attended by K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak along with Commander 11 Corps Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government in K-P has so far held the idea of holding dialogue with terrorists, close to its heart. However, back-to- back terrorist attacks and the ensuing criticism by the civil society and political parties is seemingly pressurising the K-P government to consider other ‘available options’ if circumstances require.



Chairing the closed-door meeting, the K-P governor said that the administration was committed to maintaining safety and security of the people. “Such cowardly acts of terrorism will neither deter the government nor compel it to compromise the sacred trust of maintaining security and safety of the people,” the governor said.

“We will give every chance to the peace process in order to ensure stability in the province, but at the same time, we will keep all other options open,” Shaukatullah remarked.

When asked by a Governor House official, whether the statement issued by the governor also represented views of the PTI-led provincial government, the official explicitly said, “the meeting and the statement does not represent views of a single person, but the viewpoint of all those present in the meeting,” the Governor House official told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

CM meets police chief

Later, K-P CM while chairing a high-level meeting on law and order said that peace was a top priority for the government.

“The recent repeated incidents [of terrorism] have harmed the practical steps taken by the incumbent government,” he said.

The chief minister stressed for better coordination among law enforcement agencies and assured his government’s support in the matter.

“The provincial government will extend and provide all necessary resources to implement recommendations and suggestions by law enforcement agencies,” he added.

The chief minister also encouraged representatives from all sectors, including businessmen to give their suggestions regarding a security plan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2013.