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April 09, 2008
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Wednesday
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Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1429
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NWFP sets up committee for dialogue with Swat militants
By Zulfiqar Ali
PESHAWAR, April 8: The NWFP government launched a fresh peace process for the violence-hit Swat district on Tuesday by constituting a ministerial committee to initiate dialogue with different groups of militants.
Provincial Information Minister Sardar Hussain Babak said that the provincial cabinet in its first meeting had decided to reactivate the jirga system to resolve the issue of militancy through peaceful means.
Presided over by Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, the meeting discussed several issues including the law and order situation in the province.
Mr Babak said the committee comprising two senior ministers and some other cabinet members from Malakand region had been tasked to work out a mechanism for the proposed jirga.
Elected representatives, notables and ulema from the region would be inducted into the jirga, he said, adding that the provincial government was launching a comprehensive dialogue process from the Swat district.
The minister said the committee would put up its recommendations to the cabinet within two weeks. Senior ministers Rahimdad Khan and Bashir Ahmad Bilour would head the committee.
“The committee will decide modalities for the jirga,” he said.
The minister said Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani would be in Peshawar on Wednesday and the cabinet had decided to seek financial assistance from the federal government for buying weapons for law-enforcement agencies.
He said the provincial government would bring back contingents of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) to the province from other parts of the country and use all available resources to enhance the capacity of law-enforcement agencies.
The minister said that wheat crisis was also discussed at the meeting.
Severely criticising recruitments, postings and transfers made by the caretaker government, the cabinet directed heads of all departments to present their reports within 10 days. He said that the cabinet would take necessary action against what he called illegal appointments.
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