PESHAWAR: Speakers at a discussion on ‘terrorism and the government’s policy to combat it’ on Sunday urged the government to impart special training to police on the pattern of security forces, improve the role of intelligence agencies and take steps for repatriation of Afghan nationals to overcome terrorism incidents in the country.

The dialogue was jointly arranged by the Khyber Union of Journalists, Peshawar Press Club and Pakhtun Awareness Movement at the press club here. The speakers, including office-bearers of civil society organisations, expressed their views about the current law and order situation in the wake of militant attack on Army Public School, Peshawar. Prominent among them were Barrister Hashim Raza, Moazam Butt advocate, Nasir Hussain, Shakeel Waheedullah, Mustajab, Khalid Ayub, Ashfaq Bacha, Waris Khan, Ihsan Ilahi, Aimal Khattak and others.

The speakers unanimously asked the government to review the country’s internal and external policies and seek the masses support against terrorists. They urged the government to declare Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a war-hit region and conduct investigations into the funds provided by different donor agencies to ensure completion of the relevant projects.

They said that all basic facilities should be provided to the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas. They said that complete data of terrorists and their families should be publicised so that the nation could know about them and thwart any untoward incident.

The government was urged to take effective steps for protection of the lives and properties of people in their respective areas. “The government should send back the Afghan refugees, arrange police flag marches in different bazaars and improve the intelligence service,” said trader Ihsan Ilashi. He also asked the people belonging to religious parties and groups to extend support to the law enforcement agencies against terrorists.

Speakers at dialogue for imparting special training to police

Ali Jan said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department had prepared the counterterrorism strategy in 2012 and sent its copies to all the relevant departments, but the federal government did not bother to implement it otherwise heinous crimes would have been controlled to a great extent.

Labour leader Mustajab said that the government’s foreign policy had failed to resolve the core issues and that was why the enemies were frequently launching attacks from Afghanistan. He said that it was time that the lawmakers should come forward openly against terrorists because the nation had given them the mandate for five years to devise a strategy for public safety.

“The government should close the Afghan border permanently and send back the Afghan nationals. The rulers should review the economic, internal and foreign policies to restore peace and improve the country’s economy,” said railway workers leader Ashfaq Bacha.

He also demanded increase in the salaries of labourers because mostly the same poor people were exploited by terrorists.

Peshawar University Teachers Association president Dr Fazal Nasir suggested conducting census, improvement of all facilities pertaining to education, health and communication in Fata.

He also asked for a pro-active role by the security agencies to check fake national identity cards, role of certain religious seminaries and funding to different organisations.

Advocate Raza asked for a long term anti-terrorism policy and said that politicians had disappointed masses because now the children were also not safe in the society. Advocate Moazam Butt said that the country lacked competent leadership and thus people belonging to banned outfits were also allowed to enter the legislative bodies.

Businessman Khalid Ayub asked the people to openly condemn those responsible for negligence in the Peshawar incident.

Published in Dawn December 22th , 2014