Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that hostile international powers are fuelling violence in the restive Kurram region in a bid to foment unrest across the country.
“Land disputes can occur anywhere, but the scale of the conflict in Kurram demands deeper attention,” the firebrand CM said on Wednesday, voicing fears that non-state actors were hell-bent on “using these sparks to set entire Pakistan on fire.” The CM said that despite all the odds, the government was committed to addressing the longstanding issues in Kurram and assuring concrete measures to maintain peace in the region. ̶0;Such [land-related] conflicts are common, but do entire villages rise up against each other?” he questioned, highlighting the gravity of the situation and suggesting that there was more to it than what meets the eye.
Implying the involvement of external forces in the tense district, the CM said that the kind of weaponry being supplied to and used by groups fighting in Kurram was a testament to such fears. “The KP government is actively working to resolve the matter and has already allocated Rs2 billion for the installation of CCTV cameras to improve security,” the CM said adding, “We are also setting up security posts along key roads to prevent targeted attacks,” he added.
Gandapur also vowed strict action against the miscreants, stating that there would be no leniency for elements trying to destabilise the region. “A clear message has been sent – anyone spreading terror will not be spared and will face justice,” he asserted. He further said that head money had been placed on those fuelling unrest. “We will not back down from our responsibility to ensure lasting peace,” Gandapur affirmed.
