PESHAWAR: In order to tackle the energy crisis in the province, the Khyber Pk cabinet Wednesday sanctioned two weekly holidays with an immediate effect.
It also decided to contact the federal government for sending a total of 294 Frontier Constabulary (FC) platoons back to the province.Briefing media persons on the meeting, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the cabinet unanimously approved two holidays in a week.He said the Khyber Pk government also backed Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s constitutional steps and suggested the government and judiciary to avoid confrontation among the state institutions.He said the provincial government expressed full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Gilani and expressed solidarity with him.
Regarding the deployment of FC personnel out of Khyber Pk, the cabinet was informed that 15 platoons had been sent to Karachi, while 10 were deployed in Gilgit-Baltistan and 20 in Islamabad. Moreover, the Pakistan Army and the federal government were utilising the services of 53 and 82 platoons respectively. The cabinet decided to contact the federal government to send back these platoons, as the province required these personnel to control poor law and order situation.
The meeting also discussed matters related to law and order situation, restoration of sacked employees in 1997-98, purchase of Jarma Estate land and confiscating the property of the government employees involved in terrorist activities. The cabinet members expressed deep concern over the tragic incident in Gayari and killing of innocent people in terror acts.
The cabinet meeting also expressed deep concern over the Bannu jail-break and vowed to take action against those officers, who were found guilty in the incident. Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said the provincial government had formed a committee and the responsibility would be fixed after it submitted a report.The cabinet members authorised the chief minister to release funds for the security purposes from the amount allocated for developmental schemes.
The cabinet was also informed that low-intensity jammers and explosive detectors had been purchased, while intelligence network was further improved to keep a check on militants.The meeting was told that special elite forces contingents had also been deployed in the border areas with Fata to keep a close watch on the miscreants.The cabinet agreed in principle to establish a Traffic Engineering Authority in order to get rid of the growing traffic problems.Moreover alternate roads, underpasses and overpasses will be constructed on the University Road Peshawar to minimise road mishaps.The meeting also discussed the committee recommendation about the restoration of employees sacked in 1998, after which the chief minister was authorised to send a final summary on the subject. – Nation
