MANSEHRA: The PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to call a jirga of the elders of Upper and Lower Kohistan and Palas areas to ease tensions over the district’s bifurcation.

“We (PTI government) have decided to call all tribes living in Upper and Lower Kohistan districts and disgruntled people of Palas for a meeting on Kohistan bifurcation issue within the next 15 days,” PTI Hazara divisional president Zargul Khan told reporters here on Saturday.

Mr. Zargul said in light of the observations of the people of Dasu, the district headquarters of Upper Kohistan, the people of Pattan, the district headquarters of Lower Kohistan, and Palas, a tehsil of Lower Kohistan, the PTI government would find such a solution to the issue that they all would be satisfied.

Decides to call jirga of elders of Upper, Lower Kohistan and Palas

“We (government) are going to call a grand jirga in a fortnight. We have many options to end tensions over the Kohistan bifurcation issue,” he said.

The PTI leader said the people of Palas, which was declared a tehsil of Lower Kohistan in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict, wanted either restoration of their tehsil as part of Upper Kohistan or the grant of the status of the district headquarters of Lower Kohistan to it.

“We have three options i.e. either accept one of two demands of people of Palas while taking into confidence all relevant parties or declare Palas a district,” he said.

Mr. Zargul said the PTI had been giving due importance to the development of the people of Kohistan as the area had the potential to attend to the energy needs of the country.

“Not only is Kohistan going to produce over 22,000 megawatts electricity but also it is a gateway to the multibillion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” he said.

The PTI leader said noted politicians of Dasu, Pattan and Palas had joined the PTI during the last couple of weeks and that the district had become a stronghold of the party.

NEIGHBOUR BEHIND TERRORISM: Federal religious affairs minister Sardar Mohammad Yousuf on Saturday said the current wave of terrorism in the country was the outcome of an attempt by a neighbouring country to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor but the law-enforcement and security agencies were committed to foiling bids against the multibillion dollars project.

“Our progress and development promised by the CPEC project is not sitting well with enemies, especially a neighbouring country, and therefore, they are trying to sabotage it by terrorist acts. However, our (law-enforcement and security) forces are committed to countering,” he told reporters after inaugurating a traveling agency’s offices here.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2017