Critical times: Opposition warns of a flood of violence as tide of lawlessness rises

PML-N leader accuses provincial government of being indecisive, passive

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly began debating the deteriorating law and order of the province on Thursday, with opposition leaders pressing the government to take serious action over the worsening scenario.

The session, requisitioned specifically by the opposition to tackle the issue, opened with Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi attacking the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government.

“Apathy, flawed policies and indecision is not only going to be the government’s own undoing, but the undoing of the whole province,” said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.

Abbasi claimed there was no government currently visible in this province, despite tall claims of good governance. He called K-P the “backbone of the country” and said lawlessness was bound to affect the whole of Pakistan. He lamented that countering crime is not a major part of the government’s strategy, while militancy continues to demoralise the people and law enforcement agencies. Abbasi added that the provincial government has not made any preparation to cope with the withdrawal of Nato forces from Afghanistan this year.

“Peshawar has seen four police chiefs in eight months,” he said. “It has come to a point where people cannot go out after dusk in the city.” Abbasi further said a large number of trained militants have entered the cities and questioned the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to nab them.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman termed the situation “critical”. He said if the tide of lawlessness is not stemmed now, it will be very difficult to overcome it in the future. Rehman said the government should rein in criminals who are taking advantage of the prevailing situation, adding that they were up for any process which can bring peace to the country.

Awami National Party’s parliamentary leader Sardar Babak in his speech said peace talks were only going on in newspapers and television channels. He said following a terrorist attack in Rawalpindi, military jets bombed hideouts of the alleged perpetrators as the Punjab government was active, however, people were killed daily in K-P but the government was not paying any attention to it.
When PTI lawmakers tried to disrupt Babak’s speech, he said if they had displayed the same amount of courage in facing the Taliban, the issue would not have come to this extent.  Babak offered help to the provincial government and said if they take a stand on the issue the opposition will stand with them.
Qaumi Watan Party leader Sikandar Hayat Sherpao said law and order was the provincial government’s responsibility.  He said Pukhtuns were being killed and those responsible for security were shifting responsibility to the centre.