PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami provincial deputy president and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s former senior minister Inayatullah Khan has expressed concern over the repeated terrorist incidents in parts of Malakand division, especially the deadly suicide bombing in Bajaur, and urged the government to ensure peace, otherwise people would be compelled to take measures for their self-protection and JI would not leave them alone.
He was addressing a news conference here on Friday. JI Bajaur president Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed and provincial secretary information Jamaat Ali Shah were also present on the occasion.
Inayatullah claimed that JI had arranged the biggest political gathering in the history of Malakand at Chakdara Bypass on July 30 for the protection of the rights of the people of Malakand.
“No doubt, it was the biggest power show arranged by any political party in the history of Malakand division. A sea of people had turned up at the event. We are thankful to people for making the event a success,” he said.
The huge participation in the gathering showed that people of Malakand division were aware about their rights and JI would lead them in the appropriate direction to get the rights, he said.
He said that JI was the most effective political force in all the districts of Malakand division as the people have always reposed confidence in it. The mammoth gathering proved once again that JI was the most effective voice of people of Malakand, he said.
“In 2018, the mandate was snatched from the JI under a well-planned conspiracy. But it would regain its strength in the next general elections, if the process is done in a fair
and transparent manner,” he said.
The JI leader was concerned about the recent spate of terrorism in Malakand division. The incidents in Swat, Maidan, Dir Lower and Bajaur are issues of serious concern for people of the division and JI would not leave people alone in this hour of trial, he said.
He said that Malakand division was enriched with the treasure of forests, mines and minerals. The people of the division had the rights over the forests, he said, adding that 60 percent of the total forest in the province were located in Malakand division.
The people of the division were the real owners of the forest land and they should be given back the ownership rights, he stressed.
He said that the Malakand division was producing 312 megawatts electricity and there was a potential of 5,000 megawatts more energy in the division. Still people of the division were subjected to the worst load-shedding.
He said that people of the division should be given due share in the forests, minerals and electricity’s royalty.He said the overseas Pakistanis hailing from the division were contributing remittances worth $ 7 billion through banking and non-banking channels but they were not provided any facility by the government. He demanded the government to immediately restore and reopen the only airport in the division, i.e. Kanju Airport of Swat.
He also demanded the government to give another 10-year exemption to the people of the division from taxes and establish an industrial zone there to provide job opportunities to people.
To a question about possible delay in the election due to the worsening law and order situation, Inayatullah Khan said that the situation was worse in 2013 and 2007 but elections were arranged well on time. He said that no-one would be allowed to delay elections on the pretext of the law and order situation.
