PESHAWAR, Dec 30: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani on Monday expressed his dissatisfaction over the law and order situation in the province and ordered the law enforcement agencies to improve their performance.

Speaking after a three-day discussion on the deteriorating law and order situation in the NWFP Assembly, he agreed with the opposition members’ view that the situation was worsening.

“The incidents of kidnapping for ransom, dacoities and robberies have touched an alarming level, but I assure you that I will not compromise on it,” he said.

Speaker Bakht Jahan Khan presided over the session.

Mr Durrani said restoration of law and order was the topmost duty of any government and he would get it restored with the help of the House.

The police were short of some basic things, but they were capable of controlling the situation, he said.

The police, he told the House, had purchased a fleet of luxury vehicles to overcome its transport problem, but he had turned down their decision to roam in expensive vehicles.

He said the Abbottabad police had failed to recover a man who had been kidnapped 15 days ago and he had asked the deputy inspector-general to recover him immediately. Four persons in a car were herded away by criminals from his area, but the Lakki police had no clue to their whereabouts, he said.

The chief minister told the House that he had taken some measures to improve the situation and asked the police chief to order his subordinates to tackle the known criminals with an iron hand at district level.

“The police know all about such criminals and can deal with them easily,” he said.

He urged the police officials to help the assembly members in their lawful and genuine demands and solve their problems and not to spare any law-breaker. The shortage of police was a problem, but it could not be used as a pretext to cover lethargy, he said.

Mr Durrani said he would arrange extra strength for the police from the Frontier Constabulary. “I will talk to the tribal elders to help the police in tracking down the criminals, who take a refuge in the tribal areas after committing a crime in urban settlements,” he said.

He said the Jirga system should facilitate the law enforcement agencies in bringing criminals to justice. It was a pity that the criminals used tribal areas as sanctuary, he said.

He assured the House that he would appreciate positive criticism and seek the opposition’s cooperation on vital issues.

Earlier,  Qazi Mohammad Asad, on a call attention notice, told the House that there were three high schools in Haripur before the partition, but now the district headquarters had only two such schools. The government had closed down the Elementary Teachers College some months ago and its building was vacant, he said. He urged the government to start a high school in the building as surplus teachers were available after the execution of the devolution plan.

Education Minister Fazal-i-Ali assured him that after a detailed report on the matter, the government would soon start a new school in the building.

Bashir Ahmed Khan Bilour of the Awami National Party and Anwar Kamal Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) initiated a debate on the rising unemployment and price-hike in the province.

The parliamentary leaders of their parties in the House spoke on the causes of the unemployment and price-hike and urged the government to improve its resources and utilise them for the betterment of the people.

They advised the government to take up the issue of hydel profit with the Centre and seek an enhancement in the share which had not been increased since 1992. They also demanded that the federal government pay the outstanding Rs250 billion to the NWFP.