PESHAWAR - Admitting his government’s failure in Bannu jailbreak episode, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said Friday that the inquiry committee, probing into the incident, would submit its report within a few days and stern action would be taken against the responsible elements.
The KP government, he said, accepted its failure in stopping armed militants, who attacked Bannu district jail and freed prisoners. He, however, said that the provincial government was trying its level best to overcome the existing weaknesses in the system.
Responding to the points raised by Opposition Leader in KP Assembly and ex-chief minister Akram Khan Durrni, on the first day of session, Mian Iftikhar, who is the spokesman for the provincial government, said that it was duty of the government to protect prisoners, but unfortunately it did not.
He said in order to know reasons as to why and how the armed militants completed their operation and fled safely without any resistance, a high level inquiry committee was probing the incident.
The committee would soon present its report to the government and action would be taken in the light of the report, he told the House that met with Speaker Kiramatullah Khan in the chair. He said they had been rendering sacrifices for the last four years and could not smash that just because of the one unique incident of Bannu jailbreak. Mian Iftikhar said that terrorists were their joint enemies asking opposition to join hands with the government in eliminating them.
Iftikhar Hussain termed it a unique incident but still he did not agree with the opposition saying such major incidents had taken place in the province. He said his party’s government, law enforcement agencies and people belonging to every walk of life had been rendering sacrifices against the terrorists.
The terrorists, he said, destroyed their schools, hospitals and mosques, killing their elders, women and children. He suggested the lawmakers to think seriously as to who were behind these attacks. “Let us think as to why Malakand division, a paradise on the earth, was turned into hell and how that was again turned into paradise.”
Talking on Bannu jailbreak, Opposition Leader in KP Assembly Akram Khan Durrani said that it was a unique attack that not only surprised people but the government also. This happening, he said, created unrest among people. As, local administration, jail authorities, intelligence agencies were unaware of the militants movement and failed to take action against them who easily completed their operations during three to four hours, Mr Durrani said.
He said the DIG, commissioner and IG prisons were suspended but the DCO Zahir Shah was spare. Quoting local people, he said the DCO was in knowledge of the attack but he intentionally left the district. On his turn, JUI-F lawmaker from Mansehra, Mufti Kifyatullah strongly condemned killing of Mufti Sheikh Naseeb Khan who was kidnapped from Pabbi some days back and called for severe punishment for the killers.
After Bannu jail incident, Mufti said that prisoners were feeling themselves insecure in jails now proposing government to shift all the prisoners to Dubai, where they would be secure. Hailing from Lakki Marwat, another lawmaker Naseer Khan alleged that security agencies have started raiding houses, trampling sanctity of chadar and Chardevari. The on going search could take an ugly turn if the illegal raids on the houses were not stopped. Later the speaker adjourned session till Monday afternoon.