July 08, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 11, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 7: A high-level review of the law and order situation in NWFP here concluded that administrative control has broken down in the tribal areas as there is no clear demarcation of responsibility among various tiers of the government, official sources told Dawn on Friday.

Structural changes in the administrative system were blamed for the erosion of the writ of the government. There was no unity of command in the existing system, the review meeting observed.

It was also stated that the role of MNAs, MPAs, Nazims and the district government was not spelled out. Since no person has clearly been made responsible for maintaining law and order subversive elements found room to plan to destabilise the area and the country.

Participants in the meeting called for checking the FM radio channels being used by miscreants to broadcast their nefarious agenda.

They suggested that operating an unlicensed radio must be made a non-bailable offence.

NWFP’s inspector general of police informed the meeting that despite a large number of policemen being tied to protecting and escorting foreigners and UN vehicles, his force was performing its duties effectively.

The IGP was asked to prepare a report on police’s requirements of personnel and equipment and send it to the federal government.

According to the source the meeting was told that the government was determined to root out foreigners from Pakistani territory and has decided to raise 60 more platoons of Frontier Constabulary NWFP.

While discussing “the worsening situation in Bajaur” the meeting noted that failure of administrative machinery was a major reason for the problem in Fata.

The meeting was told that delay in exchanging information between different law enforcement agencies was a major cause of failed anti-terrorist operations.

It was decided in the meeting that coordination meetings at the district level must be held on monthly basis. The DPO, Frontier Corps representatives, Frontier Constabulary and intelligence agencies officials must attend the meetings.

NWFP governor was asked to guide the overall administrative machinery for pursuing his policy decisions and would decide coordination mechanism in the tribal areas.