PESHAWAR: The responsibility for maintaining law and order in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has been transferred from the military to local authorities, including the police, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and provincial law enforcement agencies.
A high-level meeting was held to discuss the overall law and order situation in KP, attended by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Sohail Afridi, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, representatives of the federal government, and senior civilian and military leadership.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information Shafiq Jan, Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam, and Law Minister Aftab Alam briefed the media after the meeting. They confirmed that key decisions related to the economy and law and order were made, including the decision to transfer responsibilities back to the provincial civil administration once the situation in the affected areas improves. The powers in Malakand will now be handed over to the police, CTD, and provincial law enforcement agencies.
The officials further stated that in districts where counter-terrorism operations are ongoing, control would be returned to the police once the situation stabilizes.
Muzammil Aslam, the Finance Adviser, shared that the meeting also focused on the financial challenges faced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He highlighted that the province’s financial difficulties were again presented to the Prime Minister. He emphasized that if the province were to receive its rightful share from the National Finance Commission (NFC), many of the financial challenges could be resolved.
Despite limited federal funds, the provincial government is fulfilling its responsibilities in merged districts, though the current financial resources for these areas remain insufficient. Suggestions were made to resolve future financial issues.
Aslam further stated that the meeting decided to present the province’s recommendations to the federal government, with a focus on securing as much financial relief as possible for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through collaboration with the federal government.
The meeting also discussed the impact of market closures due to the operations, assuring that alternative arrangements for trade and employment opportunities in affected areas would be made. Both the federal and provincial governments will jointly work to compensate for the financial losses in these regions.
Law Minister Aftab Alam explained that important and historic decisions regarding law and order were made during the meeting. He noted that the transfer of responsibilities from the military to provincial authorities in Malakand Division is a significant step, demonstrating trust in the provincial police and law enforcement agencies.
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