PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has agreed to hold a comprehensive discussion on the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the province.

The development came as the house approved an adjournment motion of Pakistan Peoples Party member Ahmad Kundi during a session chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati.

Mr Kundi requested the chair to suspend the assembly’s routine business for an in-depth discussion on the surge in target killings, terrorist attacks, and extortion and kidnappings.

In the motion, the lawmaker insisted that not only had those criminal and violent acts led to the martyrdom of law-enforcement personnel but they had given the country a bad name as well.

Members complain about surge in targeted killings, terror attacks, kidnappings

He added that lawlessness was fast growing in the country in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular, with the people taking the law into their own hands.

Mr Kundi highlighted the recent incidents of violence in the province, saying a mob lynched a man in Madyan area of Swat over an alleged blasphemy, while around 40 people were martyred in Kurram tribal district.

He urged the chair to dedicate a day in the current week for detailed discussion on the issue with the home secretary and police chief being in attendance and insisted that the exercise would help protect the province from further bloodshed.

Earlier, newly-elected MPA of the Awami National Party Mohammad Nisar took oath and spoke on the critical law and order situation in the province, insisting it is one of the few issues facing Pakhtuns. He wondered why Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was singled out for violence and said if someone thought it was the entire country’s issue, he was wrong.

“Why is this happening here only? Why is KP being targeted, while other provinces like Punjab are peaceful?”

Mr Nisar said it was the state’s responsibility to provide security to all residents. He said that an undeclared war had been imposed on his province.

The lawmaker said the province’s merged tribal districts were promised Rs100 billion annually under the 25th Constitutional Amendment, so the region should have been given Rs600 billion in the last six years but that didn’t happen.

He urged the provincial government to fight to claim that funding share from the federal government.

The law and order situation in the province also came up for discussion during the question house. However, the chair referred the matter to the relevant house committee for a detailed discussion.

JUI-F member Adnan Khan asked the government about progress on a 2021 peace agreement between it and Janikhel tribesmen following the killing of four people.

He complained that the government’s response to his question about peace focused on the completion of developmental projects.

Mr Khan said tribesmen wanted peace in their area and not development projects. He requested the chair to refer his question to the relevant house committee. The speaker accepted his request despite resistance by the treasury.

He, however, reiterated his proposal for the formation of regional committees comprising members of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, military, police, and lawmakers for a detailed discussion on the law and order issue to find solutions.

Later, law minister Aftab Alam Afridi tabled the KP Zakat and Ushr [Amendment] Bill, 2024, KP Motor Vehicle [Amendment] Bill, 2024, and KP Police [Amendment] Bill, 2024, for discussion. The house passed the KP Provincial Ombudsman [Amendment] Bill, 2024.

The chair later adjourned the session until 2pm today [Tuesday].

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2024