PESHAWAR, Nov 27: A mix of negotiations and force to tame militants and determination to engage with others is the way forward for building peace and reforming institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to senior government functionaries.

The advice to apply the stick-and-carrot policy against militants came from none other than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa secretary (home and tribal affairs), while the need to engage with others for taking the ongoing peace building initiatives forward was emphasised by the UNDP country director here on Wednesday.

During the last day of a conference on `peace building through strengthening criminal justice system in conflict affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: situation analysis, policy assessment and way forward,` home secretary Akhtar Ali Shah said there was a need to find out all possible means to negotiate with militants since dialogue had been helpful in the past.

`Peace may be offered and if militants are not ready, power may be used,` he said making a presentation on`strengthening peace in crisis: finding creative and out of the box solution.

Mr Shah said dialogue must stand alone, but it should not be the only option.

Asking for an out-of-thebox solution to terrorism, he said the solution would be difficult to move forward without understanding how the country ended up where it was today.

`Fata remained a peace area even during the Taliban`s rule (in Afghanistan),` he said, adding `things changed after 9/11.

The secretary, however, said Pakistan had little choice (at that time) but to support the UN resolution.

He said later, the use of drones and the perceived impression about Pakistan as a US ally led to develop a mind set of which criminals and hooligans ganged up under the flag of the Taliban.

Mr Shah urged the need for a broad-based consensus on a national counter terrorism strategy and negotiation.

He asked for eliminating militants from their safe havens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to stall their capability to recruit, train, regroup, and replenish.

He also suggested undertaking action against sectarian outfits throughout the country so that they did not have respite in any other province.

The need for the provincial government to engage with others at the national level was also echoed by Marc Andre Franche, country director, UNDP, Pakistan.

After highlighting some of the successesrecordedby the UNDP-funded Strengthening Rule of Law Programme, Mr Franche termed the next few months and years difficult, requiring vision, determination and courage.

`Courage and maturity to engage with other actor at the provincial and national levels to ensure strategies are well coordinated and institutions collaborate rather than compete courage to enact ordinance and laws reforming often colonial era laws in the interest of all, said the UNDP country chief.

This was needed to protect the poor, women and minorities, he added.

Mr Franche said UNDP was counting on the leadership of the provincial government as well as `the body of work over the last 18 months (done under the programme).

Assuring his organisation`s continued support to the gov-ernment, he said Netherlands and Switzerland would also continue their cooperation and others would also join soon.

`This will require renewed commitment and sensibility to understand the local dynamism and opportunities and shape the programme to those circumstances,` said the UNDP representative.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa`s needs to continue to receive technical and financial assistance from the provincial government`s international development partners were echoed in the home secretary`s presentation. He emphasised the need for improving surveillance, establishing a school of intelligence and investigation, setting up a police wing for research and analysis and a cyber crime unit, establishing an explosive forensic land and a financial crime unit, and setting up a fully equipped library. `We may not let short term losers deter us from our long term objectives and vision,` said Mr Shah, `governance in all sectors needed to control the tide of militancy.

In respect of governance, he said social-services delivery system would have to be improved so would be law enforcement, creating better economic opportunities and bringing about improvements under the justice system and law and order situation.

Describing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa`s needs for peace building, he asked for investment in installing CCTV cameras in all major cities, GPS mobile locators, and access to electronic data (of subscribers), including emails, social media.

The province`s needs to strengthen its criminal justice system, strengthen its institutions, and improve enforcement were also highlighted through recommendations formulated by working groups.

Participants drawn from the relevant government departments, lawyers, and academicians, who were divided into four working groups, recommended improvements in all four branches of the criminal justice system, including police, prisons, prosecution, and judiciary.

They asked for enhancing financial allocation, imparting training to staff, procuring modern equipment, amending anti terrorism laws, improving mechanisms, hiring of professional staff, andgreaterindependencefor police/investigation officers/prosecutors/ and pnsons, making them free of political interference.