PESHAWAR/LAHORE:Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed his brother, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, on the law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and recent initiatives for the province’s development during a meeting in Lahore.
The country’s political situation and other matters of national importance were also discussed in the meeting, held at Jati Umra.
According to state-run APP, PM Shehbaz apprised the party president of the government’s ongoing economic reforms, the challenges being faced and measures being taken to address them.
The two leaders also discussed ways to further improve thenational economy.
The meeting came weeks after the federal government has imposed emergency and governor’s rule in KP, citing the provincial government’s ‘deliberate disengagement’ from the fight against terrorism.
The PML-N leadership defended the decision, with the PM saying the federal government was ‘compelled’ to take the stepbecause ofsecurityconcerns, while the party president argued that theintervention should have come much earlier.
Faceless ATCs To intensify the war against terrorism in KP, the provincial set-up has announced plans to establish ‘faceless’ anti-terrorism courts.
Explaining the rationale behind the move, KP HomeSecretary Amjad Ali Khan said that witnesses in terrorism cases were reluctant to come forward because ofsecurity concerns.
‘So, we have recently sent the amendment to set up faceless antiterrorism courts. Through this, not just the protection of witnesses, but that of prosecutors and judges will also be ensured,’ the home secretary said at a briefing.
Mr Khan accused the now-dysfunctional PTI-backed provincial government of lacking political ownership, saying the armed forces and police had rendered many sacrifices, while the administration failed to own them.
He said foreign policy was the federal government’s domain and that it had formulated an Afghan policy in the country’s interest, but the former set-up continued with a contrary one while inciting people against security forces.
The home secretary stated only 3.2 per cent of the budget was allocated for security in the merged districts, terming it insufficient funding for police and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
Although raised in 2014, the CTD had purpose-built infrastructure in only 12 districts, alongside inadequate SWAT teams and counter-drone systems operating at an inadequate12pc capacity.
‘Because of these issues ... we have suffered significant losses over the past two or three years in which 1,003 personnel of the armed forces were martyred, 627 police personnel, and 808 civilian casualties occurred,’ Mr Khan said, adding that 3,788 terrorists were gunned down during the same period.
Mr Khan announced the current set-up will spend Rs70bn annually on police and the CTD. Police would receive Rs59.8bn and the CTD Rs10.3bn, with the funds split between infrastructure and procure-ment, Mr Khan said.
He added that surveillance capacity would rise to 60pc for police and by 70pc for the CTD. Police counteraerial threat capacity would rise from 1pc to 50pc, air strikes from 18pc to 50pc and vehicle armour by 45pc. Jammer availability would reach 50pc, and CTD counter-drone capability 60pc.
To strengthen police capacity, Mr Khan said, sensitive police stations were being fortified, the Safe City project extended, and anti-drone systems established in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat andBannu, alongside District Nerve Centres in 10 districts.
Satellite systems will cover remote areas, with artificial intelligence monitoring social media and personnel receiving antidrone and sniper training.
Mr Khan added that kinetic operations will be scaled up through intelligence-based operations, area sanitisation, facilitator arrests, FourthSchedule re-verifications, and Rapid Response Force mobilisation, alongside crackdowns on other criminal activities.
Speaking at the briefing,Governor Kundi emphasised that the provincial administration’s priority is restoring peace and strengthening the police force. He noted that police are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and must be adequately equipped.
Pointing out past ‘lack of political ownership’, Mr Kundi questioned what families of martyrs wouldsay when political leaders disowned the war against terrorism. He noted that even political figures like Maulana Fazlur Rehman face restricted movement in some areas, saying that intelligence-based operations were necessary.
Mr Kundi said that the current set-up’s stance was clear and that decisions and policies would be made in Islamabad rather thanKabul, Kandahar or Jalalabad· He accused Afghanistan of facilitating India and Israel in using its territory against Pakistan, stating that while Islamabad has repeatedly raised concerns internationally but Kabul hasnotbudgedaninch.
‘It is very clear that whoever does not accept our state, Constitution and laws, cannot be engaged indialogue. Anyone who takes up arms against the state cannot be offered dialogue, will be responded to accordingly,’ Mr Kundi said, stressing that public support remains essential.
On funding, Mr Kundi admitted the centre might not have paid 100pc of the promised Rs100bn annually for the merged districts, but said the set-up is fighting for it.