Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Caretaker Chief Minister, Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, has emphasized the vital importance of maintaining law and order in the merged districts for the overall stability of Pakistan. He highlighted the key role of the police force in ensuring public safety and combating anti-national elements.
According to Directorate General Information and PRs – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Shah expressed these views during a meeting with Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) under training at the Chief Minister House in Peshawar. Present at the meeting were Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary, Additional Chief Secretary Home Abid Majeed, and other officials.
During the meeting, the training officers were briefed on the province’s demography, law and order situation, peace restoration measures, and economic conditions, with a particular focus on the challenges in the merged districts. Chief Minister Shah stated that while administrative integration of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has been achieved, financial integration remains incomplete. He noted that this issue, compounded by national financial instability, has slowed development in these areas.
Chief Minister Shah revealed that he has raised the funding issues of the merged districts with the Prime Minister and is hopeful for improvement. He stressed the importance of police officers upholding duty, honesty, and justice in their service, and highlighted the significant sacrifices made by the police in maintaining peace and combating terrorism.
Referring to the development and welfare of the merged districts, the Chief Minister underlined that their upliftment is a priority. He expressed regret that the promises made at the time of the merger have not been fully realized, impacting development. However, he remained optimistic about overcoming these challenges with support from the caretaker Prime Minister.
The Chief Minister also announced the upcoming launch of the Khushal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa program, which aims to provide technical training to youth for international employment opportunities, thus steering them away from negative activities and contributing to national development.