February 16, 2003	Sunday	Zul Hijjah 14, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Feb 15: A National Democratic Consultation Process has been launched for strengthening democratic and liberal forces in the region.

The process initiated by political activists belonging to the NWFP  and Federally Administered Tribal Areas will hold its maiden provincial seminar on Sunday. About 200 activists are expected to attend the seminar.

The process will also include political parties as the draft document was provided to them for consideration and submission of their proposals.

“Various important sociopolitical developments have taken place on international and national levels, specially in the region, including the NWFP and Fata,” said Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s Chairman Afrasiab Khattak, a pioneer of the process.

He said the province and tribal areas had become unipolar. The only pole available there, he said, was of religious extremism, whereas democratic and progressive forces were non-existent.

He said the process had been launched by political activists who believed that the situation had changed to an alarming extent, which was not in favour of the region.  

Mr Khattak said the process would be expanded by including civil society groups, including doctors, engineers, academicians and journalists.