High-Level Meeting in Azad Kashmir Decides To Tighten Security

In order to check terrorism and establish peace in Azad Kashmir, it has been decided in a high level meeting that peace committees will be established at the village level. However, foreigners' arrival in Azad Kashmir has been made conditional upon security clearance. These decisions were taken at a high level meeting held at the Prime Minister's House on 7 January. The meeting was presided over by Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider, Prime Minister, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) Murree gave the participants of the meeting a briefing on the Tararkhul bomb explosion. The participants of the meeting also offered Dua-e-Maghfrat (prayer for forgiveness of the victims) for the martyrs of the bomb explosion. The chief secretary and the inspector general of police briefed people at the meeting on the law and order situation in Azad Kashmir.

Establishing Peace Committee
The meeting decided that peace committees would be established at the village level in order to check terrorism and maintain peace. The member of Zakat and Ushur committees (collect alms, charity) will also be included in the peace committees. The deputy commissioners of all the districts have been directed to immediately form peace committees and that the report of these committees should be sent to the government.
The meeting decided that the security arrangements on all the entry points of Azad Kashmir would be further tightened. Scanners will be installed on the entry points for checking vehicles. The entry points will be monitored 24 hours. Action will be taken against all the non-registered vehicles in Azad Kashmir. The meeting decided that the police officials would be trained by the military.

Training of Police Officials
During the meeting, the GOC offered cooperation for training of the police officials and said that the police officials will be given training in using modern weapons, defusing explosive material and getting secret information. The decision was taken to further improve the security of foreign engineers including the Chinese citizens working on the construction projects. In this regard, decision was taken to seek services from private security companies also, besides the police.
All contractors working on construction projects were told to keep all the record of their laborers and share this record with the district administration and law enforcing agencies. The meeting took strict notice of open sale and purchase of explosives and weapons in Azad Kashmir, and it was decided that henceforth no shopkeeper will sell explosives and weapons without prior permission.

Helping Common People
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan said that the country is presently passing through a critical time. The enemy is moving toward Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir). Attacks on the army in Azad Kashmir cannot be tolerated. The Pakistan army has been present in Azad Kashmir in order to help the common people. We should not wait for any attack by the enemy, but the enemy needs to be exposed before it attacks. Our enemy is invisible. If the enemy is visible, it can be easily faced. Thus, we have to jointly face the enemy. If any district officer is found responsible for negligence, action will be taken against him.
Meanwhile, Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that a country's development depends on its education. The current wave of terrorism has been caused by a weak education policy. The class-based educational system has divided the society. Is it Jihad to kill people in the house of the God?

Responsibility of State
The prime minister expressed these views while addressing a seminar on education organized by a non-governmental organization here yesterday. Some ministers, Jamaat-e-Islami (AJK) chief Abdul Rashid Turabi, experts on education and other political parties' leaders also addressed the seminar.
The prime minister said that the provision of basic education is a responsibility of the state. If a government fails to fulfill needs of primary school for the people, it has no right to stay in power. He said that our educational system has been on the decline. The performance of government's educational organizations is disappointing. The current suicide bombing is being carried out in the country due to a weak education policy.