TIMERGARA: Malakand division general officer commanding Major-General Asif Ghafoor on Monday urged the local government representatives to play due role in ensuring peace in the region.

He was addressing a meeting of LG representatives and area elders at the Dir Scouts’ Fort in Balambat here.

Noted among participants were Dir Task Force commandant Colonel Khalid Mehmood Shafi, Lower Dir district nazim Rasool Khan, deputy commissioner Irfanullah Wazir, local MNA Sahibzada Yaqub Khan and all tehsil nazims.

The GOC said the LG representatives should help reform society and promote democratic culture.

He said the countries having good local government system had seen rapid development.

Major-General Asif Ghafoor said the LG representatives should play due role in ensuring peace in the region as they knew good and bad people in society.

He said he wanted to make LG representatives part of the security system and would visit all districts of Malakand division for the purpose.

The GOC said he wanted to enable nazims to manage security system in their respective areas.

“Once the army personnel are back to barracks, there should be strong men to manage security situation in the restive areas,” he said.

Major-General Asif Ghafoor said peace had been restored across Malakand division.

He called for weapon registration and said it was in the interest of the people to register their arms with local police and security forces.

The GOC said the security of CPEC and other mega projects was the collective responsibility of society.

He said the army had successfully overcome terrorism crisis in a short span of time with the people’s support.

The participants informed the GOC about their problems and said they would offer cooperation and support to security forces in maintaining peace in their respective areas.

JI WOMEN MOOT: The Jamaat-i-Islami has planned to hold a women workers convention in Azakhel area here on Oct 22.

This was announced by JI MNA from Swat Aisha Syed while addressing various women gatherings in Lower Dir on Monday.

She said the people should come forward to get rid of corrupt politicians.

The MNA said the JI was the country’s only political party to free the country from corruption as its lawmakers and ministers had not been involved in corrupt practices.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2016