KP chief minister announces compensation for affectees of Khar Qamar clash

Published June 1, 2019
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan announced compensatory packages of Rs2.5 million and 1 million to the families of the deceased and those injured, respectively. — DawnNewsTV/File
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan announced compensatory packages of Rs2.5 million and 1 million to the families of the deceased and those injured, respectively. — DawnNewsTV/File

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan on Saturday announced a compensatory package for the affectees of the Khar Qamar clash which took place at a check post in North Waziristan earlier this week.

He said said Rs2.5 million will be given to the families of the deceased and Rs1 million to those injured in the incident.

On May 26, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released a statement saying that a check post had come under attack by a group with whom an exchange of fire ensued, resulting in the death of three people, and injury to 15, five of whom were soldiers.

"A group led by Mohsin Javed [Dawar] and Ali Wazir assaulted Kharqamar check post, Boyya, North Waziristan tribal district this morning. They wanted to exert pressure for release of suspected terrorists’ facilitator arrested the other day," the military’s media wing said in the statement, without specifying who the suspect was.

Dawar, however, had denied that the group opened fire and accused the Army of initiating violence. Both Wazir and Dawar, who are MNAs and leaders of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), are currently under arrest.

In a later statement on Twitter, the director general of the ISPR, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, said that “innocent PTM supporters/workers need care".

"Only few are inciting and using them against state institutions for vested agenda. No one will be allowed to undo the gains of decades long national struggle & sacrifices especially of brave Pakistani tribals," he added.

Today, while making the announcement, the KP chief minister, too, acknowledged that a select few individuals were using the troubles faced by the people of the tribal districts as ammunition for their political agenda.

"The Pakhtun who are playing politics using the name of Pakhtun are unsuccessfully attempting to push the nation once more towards war, which is unacceptable," he said.

He stressed on the fact that peace had been restored due to the sacrifices of the people, Pakistan Army and security institutions and that sacrifices will continue to be made to maintain this peace.

The chief minister expressed the provincial government's resolve in addressing the issues faced by all the districts of the province, including the tribal districts. He acknowledged that it is the provincial government's responsibility to provide facilities to the people for which he said they are working day and night.

He said that the federal and provincial powers rested with the Pakhtun and the government is keen in resolving the problems faced by the Pakhtun.

He urged the people to present all their demands to the government so that they may be addressed in an effective manner, rather than wasting time and making the issues a foundation for unnecessary campaigning.

The chief minister pointed out that in the short span of 10 months, many of the issues faced by the tribal people had already been resolved.

Mehmood Khan said that the allocation of 3 per cent contribution by the provincial governments in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for the development and prosperity of the tribal areas is evidence of the fact that the government is not only sincere in making promises but also taking steps for the implementation of the promises made to the people.

The KP chief minister said that the provision of free health facilities, interest-free loans to the youth, and the merger of 28,000 Levies and Khasadar officers into police, within a short time frame of 10 months, is “evidence of the federal and provincial government's sincere support for the people of the tribal districts and which is not easily digestible by the enemies of the state”.

"They are out to coerce the Pakhtun and shove them into a new era of uncertainty and war," he said.

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