PESHAWAR, Nov 24: The Frontier government is determined to set up a transparent accountability mechanism to check corruption besides setting up a reconciliatory body through the proposed Hasba act to settle minor disputes, says NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani.

He said this while talking to German ambassador to Pakistan Dr Christoph Brummer at the Frontier House here on Monday.

The chief minister said that the proposed Hasba act was mainly designed to reduce burden on courts, ensure cheap and rapid justice to the people and seek out-of-court solution to disputes.

He said that in the past, traditional jirga system was used to settle disputes, but the institution was politicized and it lost credibility over the years. In such a situation, there was no alternative but to replace it with a mechanism having in-built accountability and checks on wrongdoings, he said, adding that it would be in line with the existing laws.

Mr Durrani said that under the new mechanism, there would be an ombudsman to be supported by two lawyers, two journalists, two government servants and two respectable citizens. The decisions under the proposed Hasba act could be challenged in courts, he said.

Acknowledging that reservations and apprehensions existed about the draft Hasba act, he stressed the need to redress these concerns properly to increase its efficiency.

The chief minister dispelled the impression that the Frontier government intended to Talibanize the society, claiming that the Hasba force would not be anything like Taliban.

Criticizing the government-run electronic media, he said it was not giving proper coverage to the Frontier government’s achievements.

Mr Durrani expressed the hope that the Islamic system of governance would lead to an exemplary law and order situation and resolve the people’s grievances, overcome unemployment and illiteracy and remedy all ills prevailing in the society. The MMA government would protect the rights of the people and ensure the rule of law, he remarked.

The chief minister also highlighted the government’s efforts for strict financial discipline, controlling non-development expenditures and ensuring judicious use of resources.

Terming illiteracy the basic cause of backwardness, he said the provincial government was focussing on the development of the education sector.

“We want to bring women to mainstream education. Postgraduate classes are being started in women’s degree colleges, besides the government is working for the establishment of a women’s medical college and a women’s university”, he said.

The German ambassador also spoke about the MMA government, western propaganda and apprehensions, saying that some time ago there was a propaganda that the German government would wind up its various programmes, but in reality there was no such things.

It was merely a baseless propaganda and the German government denied it, he said, adding that his government would explore more areas of cooperation in the Frontier province.