NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah (Retd) has stressed for complete implementation of ban on heavy weapons in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) and directed political authorities to confiscate heavy weapons in their respective tribal agencies. He issued these directives during a high level meeting here in Governor House while reviewing law and order situation in the Fata under his chair.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, Inspector General Frontier Corps Major General Muhammad Tariq Masood, IG Police Rifat Pasha, Commandant Frontier Constabulary Israr Ahmad Shinwari, Secretary to Governor Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad, Secretary Security Fata Brigadier Mahmood Shah (Retd), Political Agents of all tribal agencies and Assistant Political Agents of the Frontier Regions.
The political agents briefed the meeting about law and order situation and the measures being taken to curb smuggling, eradicate poppy cultivation, to apprehend the elements involved in kidnapping for ransom besides other affairs of their respective agencies and areas.
Addressing the meeting, governor described over all law and order situation in Fata as satisfactory, and urged political authorities to be fully cautious about the presence of foreign elements in their respective jurisdiction, the governor said adding that political administrations must have effective mechanism at local level to identify the kidnappers and locate the kidnapped.
The meeting was informed the establishment of joint check posts on borders was in progress. The governor also took serious notice of the price hike of daily utilities inside Fata and directed the authorities to control the trend.
The governor said the administration could never remain spectator in inter-tribal feuds and disputes adding, "the mindset has to be changed and the govt. has to act more pro-actively".
Stressing the need of eradicating poppy cultivation in tribal areas, the governor also asked the political authorities mere crops destruction would not be sufficient rather the owners as well as the growers would have to be punished. Who so ever violated the law must be punished, he concluded.