November 03, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 21, 1428

PESHAWAR, Nov 2: Caretaker Chief Minister Shamsul Mulk said here on Friday that the NWFP government had kept all channels open for dialogue to restore peace in Swat district. The government is also prepared to use other options.

“The establishment of the writ of the government is not only the legal and constitutional obligation but also the legal and constitutional right of the government. The people of the district are justified in demanding the government to provide them peace, safety and security,” he said.

He was talking to a delegation led by former MNA Shah Abdul Aziz Mujahid, including Malik Haji Gul Muner, Malik Haji Mohammad Yaqoob and Malik Gul Mohammad, who called on him at the Frontier House.

The chief minister said the government was not responsible for the present crisis in Swat. It has been lingering for some time. However, the government had initiated steps on the recommendations of political forces, opinion leaders and civil society representatives, he added.

He said he had convened a jirga of Swat elders who drew the attention of the government to the worsening law and order situation and demanded steps for restoring peace.

This was followed by a meeting of DCOs and DPOs of five districts adjoining Swat. The meeting focused on various dimensions and the scale of the issue.

He said that execution of people was a condemnable act. “It is also a condemnable act in the Pakhtun society and Islam also forbids Muslims against the inhuman act. It is totally inhumane and it indicates that there are some other motives and Sharia is not the agenda,” he added.

The chief minister said it was the responsibility of the government to keep the roads open, adding that if someone resisted the government’s efforts to establish its writ, it could not stay as a silent spectator.

He said that if there was any reasonable mechanism for restoring peace in the district, the government would consider it.

“The government understands that negotiations are the best option to resolve this issue and this should be held in an atmosphere of brotherhood. The question is with whom to hold talks. It is also necessary that those challenging the writ of the government are dealt with in accordance with the law, he added.

The chief minister said that the secretary law and advocate-general had been asked in a recent cabinet meeting to point out the reasons which restricted the implementation of the Nifaz-i-Adl Regulation.

He said that a committee had been constituted to identify weaknesses in the proposed law and to recommend what steps could be taken.

He said that if constitutional amendments were required for the benefit of the people, the provincial government could send recommendations to the federal government.