KP lawmakers term action against militants ‘aimless’
PESHAWAR: Both treasury and opposition members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday expressed concerns over the continued operations against the militants in the province and declared such actions ‘aimless’, complaining about the failure to eliminate...
PESHAWAR — Lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday criticised ongoing operations against militants in the province, describing the campaign as “aimless” and questioning why violence has persisted despite years of action.
According to a monitored public feed based on Dawn Pakistan’s report, the debate took place in a session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and focused on the worsening law and order situation, especially in the southern districts. Members said the people most affected by security operations were ordinary civilians, who faced displacement, collateral damage and losses to property.
The discussion was initiated by opposition JUI-F lawmaker Adnan Khan from Bannu, who pressed the provincial government to explain who was effectively in control of the district. He said residents in Bannu were living under severe pressure and claimed that roads in the area had been closed by law-enforcement agencies, preventing locals from even visiting graveyards to bury their dead. He also asked what had been achieved after thousands of intelligence-based operations since 2015, saying militants were still able to block highways in daylight.
Adnan Khan criticised the provincial government for what he described as failure to manage the situation, and said that if it could not deliver effective governance it should step aside. He argued that the security environment in southern districts had deteriorated to the point that lawmakers themselves were struggling to visit their constituencies.
He also called on law-enforcement agencies to move against suspected militant hideouts, saying the intelligence apparatus knew where they were located. In his remarks, he said the public had lost trust in security institutions because of repeated operations that, in his view, humiliated local people without bringing peace.
Speaking for the ruling PTI, Shakeel Khan from Malakand Division said residents knew who was supporting militants. He said lawmakers from both sides, along with their leadership, should stage a sit-in outside key institutions if they wanted peace restored. He added that if security agencies could not bring back stability, they should allow the police and local youth to handle the task. He also referred to militants allegedly posting TikTok videos from roads in Lakki Marwat and Bannu, calling it unacceptable.
PTI lawmaker Hamayoon Khan from Lower Dir said militants had been visible in those areas for three months without fear. He said three policemen had been killed and about 10 others wounded in an attack at the Laram Top tourist resort, adding that the situation was discouraging people from visiting the area. He also said the police were not properly equipped and noted that only a police inspector was leading the anti-terror operation there.
Ajab Gul, an MPA from the Waziristan region, said lawmakers had repeatedly raised law and order concerns in the assembly and elsewhere without seeing improvement. Other PTI members, including Sajjad Barkwal, Sultane Room and Anwar Khan, also took part in the debate.
The chair later adjourned the session until next Friday.
Source: Dawn Pakistan - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017348/kp-lawmakers-term-action-against-militants-aimless
