The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has opposed the newly launched military operation in Bajaur unless it is taken into confidence by the Centre and has vowed to lift a three-day curfew imposed in the district’s 16 areas yesterday.
Security forces backed by gunship helicopters and artillery launched ‘Operation Sarbakaf’ against terrorists in the Lowi Mamund tehsil on Tuesday. Tribal elders in Bajaur and some other KP districts have long opposed any military operation, citing concerns over displacement.
Although not confirmed officially by security forces, sources said that at least four terrorists were killed, around 12 were wounded, and about 10 were captured alive in different areas of the Lowi Mamund tehsil. Locals also claimed that a child was among two civilians who died, and eight others, including two minors and a woman, were wounded in clashes between security forces and terrorists.
Chairing a PTI parliamentary party meeting in Peshawar late last night, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said: “We are not in favour of any military operation without the provincial government being taken into confidence.”
He lamented that the “relationship of confidence between our army and our public” was eroding due to the “martyred civilians and collateral damage in Bajaur”, adding that the lack of trust was failing the country’s fight against terrorism.
The meeting vowed that the recent curfew in parts of Bajaur would be revoked today. However, an official announcement for that is yet to be made.
It was decided that further course of action regarding an operation would be announced after the matter was debated in the KP Assembly.
“We are standing with our public. We will go to every extent for our public,” CM Gandapur vowed. “We cannot ruin our soil for those decisions that are imposed on us without our consultation.”
The meeting made several decisions regarding the ongoing security situation and its future actions to address the concerns raised by the people.
CM Gandapur ordered all deputy commissioners not to impose any curfew without permission from the KP home department, regardless of “any kind of situation”. He also decided to transfer the powers of imposing Section 144, under which a curfew is put in place, to the department.
The PTI meeting further decided to revoke the KP Actions (in aid of civil power) Ordinance 2019, with legislation for that expected to be introduced in Friday’s KP Assembly session.
The ordinance provided legal cover to several detention centres set up during military operations — similar to two 2011 regulations imposed in the tribal areas.
The gathering also approved the decisions taken at a multi-party conference (MPC) held last week, wherein Gandapur opposed a renewed military offensive to eradicate militancy in the region and vowed to take action against all armed outfits.
Further, the KP CM said he would meet with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss the province’s law and order situation.
Speaking on a series of jirgas planned in the upcoming week, the chief minister said: “In the next 10 days, we will hold multiple jirgas, each of two districts, after which a grand jirga of all stakeholders in terrorism-ridden areas will be convened.
“In view of the decisions made in the jirgas, policies will be re-evaluated,” he said, adding that the government will convey the reassessment to “those responsible for protecting the borders”.
The KP CM claimed that soldiers who sacrificed their lives were “not rewarded properly due to wrong policies”. “We have repeatedly said to review these policies.”
Protesters gather in Bajaur: PTI MPA
Meanwhile, PTI MPA Anwar Zeb Khan said protesters were gathering at Bajaur’s Umary Chowk to demonstrate against the “unannounced operation”.
Pictures shared by him of the purported protest showed hundreds of men gathered on a street.
The gathering follows yesterday’s protest by residents of War Mamund tehsil against the operation, where they demanded that authorities ensure the safety of civilians during the operation.
Besides Zeb, MPAs Dr Hamidur Rehman and Mohammad Nisar Khan; former MNA Gul Zafar Khan; and MNA Mubarakzeb Khan, the prime minister’s special assistant on tribal districts, have condemned the operation and the curfew in the area.
Former Jamaat-i-Islami senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan also expressed concerns over the operation’s launch and urged authorities to stop it immediately.
The Awami National Party also condemned the military action, with party chief Senator Aimal Wali Khan and provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain questioning its legality. They noted that according to Article 245 of the Constitution, approval of the provincial government was required for military operations.
Compensation for slain ‘civilians, soldiers’ in operation
The chief minister also presided over a separate meeting to review the law and order situation in the wake of the Bajaur operation.
CM Gandapur was briefed on the situation by the relevant officials, according to a statement from his office. Expressing his condolences to the bereaved families of “civilians and security personnel martyred in the Bajaur incident”, he announced compensation worth Rs10 million for them.
Compensation of Rs2.5m was also announced for those injured during the “incident”.
The KP chief secretary and Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed were among various officials present during the meeting.
The reported incident comes just days after seven protesters were shot dead and 16 others were injured in Khyber district’s Tirah Valley.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had condemned the “firing on peaceful citizens by khawarij” — a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, according to sources and protesters, security personnel guarding the installation reportedly had opened fire to control the crowd.
Following the incident, security officials met with a delegation of Tirah elders and announced compensation for the victims on their demand. The KP government also announced separate Rs10m for each deceased and Rs2.5m for the injured.