PESHAWAR: Islamabad has authorised the NWFP government to enter into deals with the Taliban for ensuring peace in the province and called for respecting such agreements.

“The federal government will support the provincial government in its efforts to eliminate extremism and improve security in troubled areas,” Rehman Malik, the prime minister’s adviser on interior, told a high-level meeting of officials of the federal and provincial governments at the chief minister’s secretariat on Thursday.

Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan, Chief Minister Ameer Khan Hoti, NWFP government’s peace envoy Afrasiab Khattak, senior provincial minister Rahimdad Khan, federal interior secretary Kamal Shah, NWFP chief secretary Sahibzada Riaz Noor, heads of federal and provincial law-enforcement agencies, all political agents and DCOs attended the meeting.

The meeting, which lasted nine hours, discussed the law and order situation in the province and the tribal areas.

Sources privy to the meeting told Dawn that the provincial government had been directed to chalk out plans, both short- and long-term, for countering militancy.

Under the short-term plan, police strength would be increased and both Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary, backed by armoured personnel carriers, would provide force for the security of the provincial capital.

For the purpose, the required number of paramilitary forces would be called from other parts of the country and deployed in and around Peshawar.

The sources said the provincial government had been directed to prepare an extensive long-term security plan outlining recruitment of police force, armament requirements and communication tools.

Mr Malik asked the provincial government to prepare a summary of recommendations for submission to the prime minister.

The meeting resolved that security forces would be made available to political agents as and when needed. The political agents would constitute peace committees comprising officials and notables in their respective regions.

For South Waziristan region, sources said, the federal government would immediately release Rs15 million for the rehabilitation of displaced families and a monetary package would be prepared for the troubled Kurram Agency.

Mr Malik said that peace in the NWFP and Fata was linked to peace in Afghanistan and emphasised coordination among law enforcement agencies.

Asfandyar Wali Khan called for implementing the political parties act in Fata and bringing tribesmen into the mainstream.

An official handout said the meeting had taken several key decisions about law and order in the Frontier province.

According to the handout, it had been agreed that police, FC forces and other law enforcement agencies would be strengthened and would be made more effective to meet the challenges.