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| India-Pakistan |
| 'Unrest due to division of Malakand grand jirga over Swat' |
| 2007-11-04 |
| Chief Minister NWFP Shamsul Mulk Saturday said that the government would call a grand jirga of elders of Malakand Division to discuss and evolve a consensual strategy for amicable settlement of the Swat imbroglio in order to pre-empt its spill over to other districts. Talking to reporters after addressing a jirga of Upper Dir District here at Frontier House, the Chief Minister said, he would convene the grand jirga after completing district level jirgas of Malakand Division, which comprises of seven districts. He said he held a number of jirgas with the elders of Swat District and Malakand Agency and a jirga of notables from Upper Dir District are also calling on him. The jirga members were apprised of the ticklish situation in Swat and sought their cooperation and assistance forehand to stop its spill over to their district which was too close to Swat. Similarly, he said, he would also meet the elders from Shangla, Buner, Dir Lower districts to apprise them about the situation on ground and their responsibilities in this critical hour. He said people of Malakand are law abiding citizens and have an earnest desire for peace in their districts. To a question about implementation of Nifaz e Shariat in Malakand Division, Shamsul Mulk said, the Shari Nizam Adl Ordinance was already enforced in the division in 1999 but it was not properly delivering. He said “we will look into the loopholes that marred its effective implementation in Malakand Division”. He reiterated that prime responsibility of his caretaker setup was to ensure strict implementation on laws of the land. Responding to another query, he said, the NWFP government has taken certain measures to establish government’s writ in the affected areas of Swat district. He said, there would be no need even to use the police force against the miscreants if the social and political figures played their role in the maintenance of public order. He said the elders of Dir upper district have held out categorical assurance to him that they would not allow the miscreants to make their presence in their district. The jirga members were informed in detail about their responsibilities and importance in the maintenance of public order in their area. Dir Upper District, he said, was vulnerable to the miscreants because of its location. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Paki protest pix from Snapped Shot. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-11-04 02:03 |