Chief Minister NWFP Akram Khan Durrani Monday announced the formation of Loya (grand) Jirga to bring back normalcy and tranquillity to Malakand Division that witnessed some tragic episodes of bomb blasts and attacks on security forces by the miscreants in the recent days.

He was addressing a press conference here after chairing a marathon Jirga of representatives and elders of Malakand Division called to ponder over the law and order situation and to work out workable and viable solution to the issue cropped up there. The Loya jirga would have representation from all segments of the society, he informed

The 130 member jirga included elected representatives, District nazimeen, politicians, elite and Ulema of Malakand Division. The Chief Minister also announced Rs.100000 cash compensation for the victims of the recent bomb blasts, Rs.50000 for seriously injured and Rs.25000 for minor injured.

The Chief Minister said, the Jirga members assured to work for establishing lasting peace in Malakand Division that comprises seven districts i.e. Malakand Agency (PATA), Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Chitral, Buner, Swat and Shangla. The names of the Loya Jirga would be finalised later on.

The Jirga members have committed themselves before winding up of the proceedings that they would achieve the desired goal i.e. peace, in the shortest possible period in Malakand division, he said and quoted MNA Maulana Asadullah, as saying that he would bring back peace in 15 days time to Malakand division.

Giving details of the complexion of the jirga, he informed that Loya Jirga will work at Malakand Division level consisting of five members each from every district of the division. At district level, jirga will also be formed by the respective District Co-ordination Officers, he added. Besides this Peace Committees would also play their role in the maintenance of public order in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

"The Chief Secretary and I will closely monitor working and achievements of the jirga and it will enjoy full backing of the NWFP government," he told the reporters. The Jirga members, he said, laid great stress on restricting the movement of the security forces in Malakand division. However, he held out categorical assurance to the jirga that no operation would be carried out in Malakand division sans approval of the Provincial Government.

The Chief Minister further informed that the jirga was told to curb activities of the anti social elements involved in attacks on video shops, barber shops and writing threatening letters to the girls' schools and colleges. The DCOs and DPOs have also been directed to ensure proper security to the video and barber shops. Similarly attack on Police Stations would be considered attack on the loya jirga, he added.

He informed the Jirga that security forces would not be put up inside universities, colleges, schools and hospitals in Malakand division. The security forces would be kept at isolated places in the districts where they have no direct interaction with the local people, he added. The security forces have not been called in for carrying out any operation in Malakand, he further told the newsmen.

To a question, he said, it was not yet confirmed that Taliban are involved in the present unrest in Malakand division. The TNSM local leaders at a press conference a few days back in Swat have expressed their total dissociation from incidents of attacks on video and barber shops.

To a question, the Chief Minister said, leader of opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman had made ceaseless efforts to avoid operation against Lal Masjid and held talks with Ghazi brothers to convince them not to challenge writ of the government. "We gathered about 100 noted Ulema at Frontier House Islamabad and constituted a 25 member Ulema committee to hold talks with Maulana Abdul Aziz and late Abdur Rashid Ghazi before the operation and forwarded various peace proposals to them that also included surrender of the arms and their custody to the Ulema Committee", he added. The efforts of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, he said, ensured peaceful exit of 1300 children form Madrassa Hafsa.

Akram Khan Durrani strongly condemned killing of the Chinese in the City a few days back and said that Chinese engineers are working on important hydle projects in the NWFP. He said the involvement of foreign hands in the present unrest in NWFP could not be ruled out.

To a question, he called for further streamlining the working of intelligence agencies and said that funds of the special branch has been increased to bring improvement in its working.

In reply to a question, the Chief Minister said, he got Rs.4.30 billion for the province from the recently held meeting of the National Security Council which was chaired by President Pervez Musharraf.