ISLAMABAD: Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani lauded the role of newly formed lashkars comprising Maliks and local people, saying these have a positive role to force the terrorists to retreat, avoiding militancy and challenging the writ of the government.
In an informal talks with senior journalists at a local hotel, he dispelled the impression that tribal lashkars could lead to a civil war.
Dealing the miscreants and criminals through local lashkars has been a routine phenomenon over the years and a part of tribal tradition to maintain peace and protect the life and the property of the people.
While describing the situation in FATA as highly complex and alarming, he expressed his optimism that it was quite manageable. This required better understanding of the real issue and handling it through a broad-based national consensus.
Governor appreciated the role of media and hoped it should avoid glorification of the terrorist groups and their leaders. Rather, he said, they nefarious designs should be exposed and the nation should be motivated to join hands with the government to stop them, killing innocent people through blasts and suicide attacks.
The government of NWFP, he said has formed a policy coordination committee that meets every month to review the ongoing operation in the federally administered tribal areas. This committee consists of top level officials of the relevant agencies and departments.
He said “we are working with a coordinated approach keeping in view the ground realities as well as the national consensus on the issue.”
In policy-making on the war against terrorism, he said position and views of all stakeholders are taken into consideration.
“No single person has the authority or the capacity to form the policy and dictate in the matter,” he said adding “no government in the country can go against the popular Will of the people.”
The basic objective of the government is to save the lives of the innocent people. The policy adopted during the last few months, he said has helped the country to successfully avert certain threats to national security and now the situation was returning to normalcy in most parts of the affected areas.
Replying to a question, Owais Ghani said he did not consider terrorist activity as a law and order problem, but said it was militancy that meant to challenge the writ of the government.
He reiterated government’s position that it was Pakistan’s own war in fata, being the worst victim of terrorism and extremism. However he said the issue can only be resolved on a long-term basis with the cooperation of the world community. We need to address the root causes of terrorism that include economic deprivation and socio-economic injustices.
He said the newly elected government is fully alert and effectively engaged in correcting the past mistakes and handling the affairs with a national approach, by taking public representatives into confidence.
He emphatically urged the media to build up public trust and confidence in the government, seeking their maximum support to ensure peace and tranquillity.
About the stake-holders in the war against terrorism, the governor said, the interest of the entire world is involved in it and it is the responsibility of the world and the regional countries more particularly to help wiping out the wave of terrorism and extremism, ensuring lasting peace and development.
He said the government strongly believes in holding dialogue with the extremist groups to resolve the issue peacefully, without resorting to military means. “ We are prepared for cross-the-board dialogue for sake of peace,” he said, while categorically stated that the national interests will never be compromised. No pressure from any quarter will be accepted to this effect, he added.
The governor clarified that while holding dialogue with certain groups the government cannot compromise on strategic fundamental issues of national or regional importance.
Safeguarding national integrity and protecting the rights of the people are the basic responsibility of the government, which will always remain its top priority.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Fata Habibullah Khan gave a background briefing on security situation in Fata, with the help of slides.
He traced the history of militancy in the area and said now we have reached a stage, where peace of the whole world depends on the cooperative actions and having better understanding of the real issues or factors behind it.
NEWS BY ARYNEWS
