Cabinet approves CSW, body on royalty payment to districts
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: Expressing satisfaction over the truce in Malakand Division, NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain Tuesday said the government writ had been restored in about 70 per cent of Swat area after February 16 deal.
“This is the suitable recipe for bringing peace and we shall apply it wherever it is needed once it proves successful in Malakand Division,” Mian Iftikhar told a press conference here.
Briefing journalists after the 10th meeting of the provincial cabinet, the minister said militants had agreed to lay down arms after the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in Malakand. “All those opposing the peace deal must know that this is our problem and let’s solve it our way,” said Mian Iftikhar, who hoped that the government’s writ in rest of the 30 per cent area would be restored in the due course of time.
The minister, however, admitted that situation in parts of Swat was not ideal, but there was no reason to call it disappointing. He said that schools and colleges had been reopened, girls were giving papers; businesses had been resumed on which people were happy. “Why critics of the peace deal don’t call the glass half-full when they call it half-empty,” he posed a question.
About the delay in signing the draft Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, the minister said President Zardari and the central government was on board while signing the peace deal. He said there might be a bit delay, but expressed the hoped that it would be signed to allay fears of the people.
About the controversy being linked to the signing of the proposed law, Mian Iftikhar said that Qazi courts had already started functioning in Malakand under the 1999 Regulation. He said signing of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 into a law by the president would pave the way for the complete enforcement of the system in the area.
About the alleged lashing of a 17-year-old girl by Taliban in Swat, the minister said the matter had become sub judice following the suo moto notice by the Supreme Court and he would not comment on that. He said the prime minister had convened a meeting with the chief ministers of the four provinces in Islamabad a day earlier to discuss the security situation.
About the recent clash between local Lashkar and Taliban in Buner district, Mian Iftikhar said eight militants and four others, including a police officer, a constable and two Lashkar men had been killed. He said negotiations were underway to resolve the problem.
The minister rejected the impression that the present commissioner of Malakand Division was appointed on the recommendation of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad.
Earlier, the 10th meeting of the provincial cabinet was held with the Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti in the chair. The meeting reviewed the decision taken during the previous cabinet meeting.
Mian Iftikhar said the meeting decided to constitute a Provincial Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to review the discriminatory laws regarding women in the province. He said the commission would be comprised of ten members with one of them as a minority representative.
Led by a chairperson for the tenure of three years, the commission would keep an eye on government’s policy regarding the women, review rules and laws regarding the women and ensure provision of legal rights to women as guaranteed in the 1973 Constitution.
Mian Iftikhar said the chief minister had ordered release of Rs10 million to the commissioner Malakand division for the rehabilitation of the internally displaced people (IDPs) from Swat. He said the CM had ordered the authorities concerned to allow admission to students from Swat in different educational institutions.
He said the cabinet directed the administration, law and finance departments to prepare a report about the government employees removed from the service between 1996 and 1998 within a month. Restoration of the sacked government employees was ordered by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani earlier.
He said committee was formed to allow the payment of royalty to districts where gas and oil had been explored. The committee would devise procedure for spending the amount in the same districts and tehsils, he added.
Source:http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=171412
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