PESHAWAR: A high level meeting to review law and order situation and administrative affairs in Malakand division was held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair.
The meeting deliberated upon the matters related to the overall law and order situation, anti-encroachment operations and steps being taken to stop illegal cutting of trees, and protection of forest acres in Malakand division. Member Provincial Assembly, Mian Sharafat Ali, Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, Inspector General Police Muazzam Jah Ansari, Senior Member Board of Revenue Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, Commissioner and Regional Police Officer Malakand Division and other concerned senior officers attended the meeting.
The chief minister expressed displeasure over some unpleasant incidents of law and order in the division and directed the civil administration and police to improve overall law and order situation and administrative matters within one month period and made it clear that incase of no visible improvement in law and order situation, strict action will be taken against the responsible ones. He further directed them to submit a weekly report regarding law and order and administrative affairs in Malakand division.
Mahmood Khan also directed the quarters concerned to chalk out a comprehensive mechanism for the security of tourists and to ensure that no incident of inconvenience for tourist takes place in future. He also directed the authorities concerned to expedite anti-encroachments operations in Swat district and take indiscriminate actions against illegal constructions on river beds. The chief minister also directed the authorities concerned to speed up actions against land grabbers and those elements involved in illegal constructions and said that violators of River Protection Act be dealt with iron hands and nobody be spared how influential he/she may be.
He further directed them to take stern actions against those challenge writ of state and FIRs be lodged against them as per the relevant provisions of law. Moreover, the chair directed Secretary Forests to prepare a plan to effectively stop illegal cutting of forests in Kalam further directing to complete the recruitment process against the newly created vacancies in order to put an end to illegal cutting of trees. The chief minister directed the authorities of revenue department to initiate land settlement in Kalam to demarcate the forest land within three months positively.