The Apex Committee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has directed all departments to take effective, decisive and coordinated action to eradicate terrorism and establish lasting peace in the province. The directives were issued at a meeting in Peshawar on Monday, chaired by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also taking part.
The meeting came a day after the province moved into a new administrative setup under emergency and governor’s rule. Officials at the meeting said the committee was focused on restoring security and improving governance in a province where, according to the committee, the law and order situation requires urgent attention.
Apex committee sets out anti-terror measures in Peshawar
At the outset, the meeting paid tribute to the security personnel and others who lost their lives in the line of duty while working to maintain peace. Members then reviewed the overall security situation in the province and the steps needed to completely eradicate terrorism and secure sustainable peace.
The committee also decided to give special attention to long-standing problems faced by residents of the province. Its stated priorities include:
- education, health and quality of life for residents
- socio-economic development in underdeveloped areas
- development in areas affected by terrorism
- upgrading the Police and Counter-Terrorism Department with modern logistics and the required manpower
The forum stressed the need to enhance the operational capacity of the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department. It made clear that intelligence-based operations against terrorism will continue and that all available resources will be used to improve law and order.
The forum also restated that eradicating terrorism and establishing law and order are the shared objective and top priority of all state institutions. It said these institutions would continue their efforts toward that goal.
Governor’s rule reshapes how Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is governed
The meeting followed a sweeping change in the province’s governance. President Asif Ali Zardari imposed emergency and governor’s rule, effectively sidelining the PTI-led provincial government. The president approved and signed the summary on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, after the federal cabinet made recommendations and reviews of the province’s law and order situation were presented.
Under the presidential proclamation, Governor Kundi will exercise the provincial government’s functions on behalf of the federation. He will be assisted by an 11-member advisory council. Parliament will exercise the legislative powers of the provincial assembly for the duration of the emergency.
The proclamation states that the chief minister, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and the advocate general have ceased to hold office. The provincial assembly, however, has not been dissolved.
Kundi pledges police resources, anti-corruption drive and firm law enforcement
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, Kundi said an advisory council had been formed after the emergency and governor’s rule were imposed, and that it had discussed various matters. He said the provincial apex committee had also met that day, with the fight against terrorism remaining the government’s priority.
Kundi referred to PTI in remarks about its planned protest. He said: “Their container is still standing abandoned on the road. I was waiting myself, as they had said they would march on Governor House.” He added that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rejected what he described as a “13-year ordeal”, and that a new journey had begun after the end of the previous government’s 13-year rule.
The governor said the administration would stand alongside the police and provide them with all necessary resources. “We will make cuts elsewhere, but we will provide the police with all the resources they need,” he said, adding that strengthening the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department was the first priority. He said he had directed the inspector general of police and the chief secretary to increase police salaries and the compensation package for martyrs.
Kundi said there would be no compromise on law and order and warned that anyone taking the law into their own hands would face consequences. He also pledged “zero tolerance” for corruption, saying institutions would act against anyone found involved, including through arrests and punishment. “We have to clean up the mess of 13 years,” he said, adding that people would soon see a difference.
He said the government would answer its critics through its actions and performance, and would not allow “lawlessness and vandalism” in the province. Kundi also said the administration wanted prosperity for the province. He acknowledged that traders were facing difficulties because of the border closure, but added: “Pakistan comes first.”
