PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday formed yet another advisory committee of lawmakers from the defunct Fata to resolve post-merger issues and holding talks with Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).

The decision was made during a meeting attended by KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Governor Shah Farman, Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Shaheen Mazhar Mehmood, chief secretary Mohammad Saleem, provincial police chief Dr Naeem Khan, senators and MNAs from merged districts, and other officials concerned.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the chief minister and governor said advisory committee comprising senators and MNAs from tribal region would be headed by the chief minister.

Governor denies differences with CM, claims he didn’t misuse powers

The governor said the committee would be referred as ‘advisory committee for redressal and development’, which would be headed by the chief ministers and comprised senators and lawmakers from merged districts.

“The committee would oversee all issues in merged districts,” he said.

Mr Farman rejected reports of differences with the chief minister and said the chief minister wasn’t legally bound to listen to his views.

“I have not misused my powers as governor,” he insisted.

Mr Mahmood asserted that he was a ‘fully powerful’ chief minister and that he didn’t get ‘dictation from Islamabad or some other place’.

He also denied the impression of being bypassed by Islamabad for the sacking of the provincial chief secretary and police chief and insisted that transfers were not ordered ‘under dictation from someone else’.

“I used my powers to transfer officers,” he said.

The chief minister said six people from the province held key positions in the federal government and that their participation in meetings should not be misconstrued.

Adviser of the chief minister on merged districts Ajmal Wazir said the committee would hold talks with all groups including Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.

He said the government was striving to resolve issues faced by the region by dialogue.

The huddle between the region’s lawmakers and provincial government leadership took place days after differences over extension of the police to merged districts cost the chief secretary and police chief their jobs.

There were also reports of differences between the chief minister and governor over the latter’s attempts to have a say in the affairs of the tribal districts despite lacking legal permission.

On Monday night, the information department shared a picture of Mr Farman and Mr Mahmood along with information minister Shaukat Yousafzai over a dinner, whose holding was interpreted as an attempt to help two bury the hatchet.

Governor Farman’s last Thursday decision to form an advisory board with retired bureaucrats from the region to advise the government on merged district issues without the provincial government’s backing had lend credence to reports of differences between him and chief minister.

Prior to his decision to notify that board, the provincial cabinet had also decided to form a similar panel to resolve post-merger issues. However, the committee was abolished even before its maiden meeting as bureaucracy complained about being left out of it.

Also, a task force on merged districts is working at federal level with the prime minister’s adviser on establishment, Arbab Shahzad, being its head.

Regarding the status of the governor’s advisory board, information minister Shaukat Yousafzai said the panel’s nature was advisory and that it was not set up without consulting the provincial government.

He said the committee headed by the chief minister had a legal status.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2019