Iraqi Parliament Speaker praises Peshmerga
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – The Parliament Speaker of Iraq, Salim al-Jibburi, stated on Sunday that the role of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces is noticeable in term of providing stability and security in different parts of Iraq.
On Sunday, 155 families returned to the disputed district of Jalawla in Diyala province after the area was declared safe and clear from bombs by the Peshmerga engineering team.
Peshmerga forces liberated Jalawla from the Islamic State (IS) insurgents more than a year ago, but the people of the town could not return to their homes due to the implanted bombs in the area by the jihadists.
Al-Jibburi, accompanied with some Iraqi parliament members, visited the town. "The daily needs of the people of Jalawla should be provided, and it is in the responsibility of the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)," he said.
He continued, "In fact, the role of the Peshmerga forces is clearly seen in providing security and stability for the people, and helping the people to return back to their own homes."
Al-Jibburi thanked all the security forces and those who participated in liberating the city from the Islamic State (IS) and helping people to return to their areas. "The next step will be reconstructing the town. We are here to see the happiness in the eyes of Jalawla people as they return to their homes," he added.
Ala Talabani, a Kurdish member in the Iraqi parliament, stated that they will promise people not to free the IS-occupied territories alone, but also reconstruct the area after the liberation process. In spite of the insufficient help from Baghdad to the internally displaced people (IDPs), Talabni says that the Baghdad government will provide a special budget to reconstruct the recently liberated areas.
Jalawla district is part of the town on Khanaqin, located in the southern parts of Diyala province. The Mayor of the town of Khanaqin Mohammed Mullah Hussain, who was also present in welcoming families to the district, told K24 that they will cooperate with the administration of Diyala province, Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) to re-build the town and provide services to the people.
"The KRG has done its best in liberating and supporting the area," he said.
Currently, the security of the town is in the hand of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Peshmerga Commander Najmaddin Ali told K24 that Peshmerga will continue to provide security and safety to the area.
Zahir Tahir, a Kurdish member of the Diyala Provincial Council, said that IQD 34 billion (US $31million) has been provided by the Diyala province to reconstruct Jalawla district.
The K24 reporter in Jalawla, Harem Jaff, stated that today 155 families have returned to the town.
"Besides the people inside the town, the displaced people of 50 villages around Jalawla in the Kurdistan Region are expected to return to their own villages soon," Jaff said.