July 14, 2008	Monday	Rajab 10, 1429

SWABI, July 13: The provincial government has started manoeuvring to put in place ‘peace defence committees’ in all the 24 districts to contain spread and spillover of Talibanisation from the Federal Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) to the settled areas of the NWFP.

Sources told Dawn here on Sunday that ANP provincial president Afrasiab Khattak held a meeting with party’s district chapter here on Saturday and discussed with the office-bearers the idea. According to the proposed plan, the district leadership of the ANP would be responsible for formation of the proposed committees.

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Usher and Zakat Zar Shaid Khan, Adviser to Chief Minister Mukhtiar Khan, Imran Afridi, Tajuddin, Arbab Zahir Shah, local MPAs and MNA.

The party has decided that Imran Afridi would be the provincial salar (chairman) of the proposed peace bodies and all district committees would work according to the guidelines of the provincial chief, the sources added.In each district, they said, the leadership would be responsible to nominate office-bearers and members of the committee and each district body would comprise 2,000 members who would play their role in containing Talibanisation.

It has been learnt that some party leaders had categorically declared that spreading of Talibanisation had put their integrity at stake and further spreading of militancy could cause irreparable loss to the province, particularly to the people and political parties.

The impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf, the sources said, also came under discussion during the meeting.

The ANP would support the move if the major coalition partners, PPP and PML-N, decided to impeach the president.

However, the meeting observed that the ANP was presently pre-occupied with restoration of peace in the province. Participants made it clear on the occasion that the party supported reinstatement of the deposed judges according to the wishes of the masses.

The provincial leaders of the ANP also advocated for provincial autonomy which was declared “a prerequisite for strengthening the federation and removing the sense of deprivation from the masses of small provinces”.