Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday chaired the KP Apex Committee meeting at Governor House in Peshawar, where officials vowed decisive, coordinated action to root out terrorism. The sitting came a day after an emergency and governor’s rule took effect in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Who attended
The Associated Press of Pakistan reported that Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, members of the Advisory Council, the Corps Commander Peshawar, the chief secretary, the inspector general of police and other senior civil and military officials were present. Dawn said Kundi and Naqvi co-chaired the meeting, while APP and [Geo News]() described Kundi as being in the chair with Naqvi beside him. The session opened with Fateha, a prayer for the dead, for martyrs who lost their lives in the effort to keep the peace.
Security decisions
Geo, citing Radio Pakistan, said the committee told all departments to take effective, decisive and coordinated action to eliminate terrorism and establish durable peace. Police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the police unit that pursues terrorism cases, are to get modern logistics and more manpower. Areas already hit by terrorism are to receive particular attention for socio-economic development. Geo also reported a vow to continue intelligence-based operations, meaning actions planned from specific intelligence rather than broad sweeps.
Participants reviewed the KP security situation and what would be required to eradicate terrorism and hold a sustainable peace, according to Geo. APP said they restated a commitment to strengthen law-enforcement institutions and improve the delivery of public services. The committee decided to pay special attention to long-standing issues faced by people across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police pay and Kundi’s priority
At a press conference in Peshawar, Kundi said the new setup would “not compromise on police” and pledged enhanced support and a pay raise for law enforcers, Dawn reported. He said a security meeting on Sunday, and the apex committee on Monday, were meant to assure the government that “our first priority is the fight against terrorism”. To the committee he said, “We can sacrifice our development, but never security.” Arab News reported that eliminating terrorism was his top priority under emergency rule, and Geo said he and Naqvi later spoke to reporters together.
After governor’s rule
[The Nation]() reported that President Asif Ali Zardari approved the emergency and governor’s rule on Sunday under Articles 232(1) and 234(1) of the Constitution, the provisions used to proclaim an emergency and impose governor’s rule. A presidential proclamation said the emergency was in force immediately. It cited an escalation in terrorist incidents, serious threats to citizens’ lives and property, and more attacks on government installations, infrastructure and law-enforcement agencies.
Writing before the session, The Nation said reports suggested likely decisions on 12 sensitive districts, including possible deployment of army personnel. Accounts of the meeting from APP, Dawn and Geo did not confirm those steps. ARY News said an adviser had stated that the governor would chair; that report did not name the adviser.
No public document from the KP Apex Committee meeting has set out a full list of orders, a schedule for intelligence-based operations, or the amount of the promised police raise. Further remarks on police pay appear in a related Zaviya report.
