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MIRAMSHAH, Feb 25: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said the government does not want to see a repetition of the events that took place in South Waziristan Agency, urging the tribesmen to be wary of presence of foreigners.
Addressing a tribal jirga here on Friday, the governor said the government would not spare anyone sheltering foreigners. "Any sort of cooperation with these foreign terrorists is totally against the national interest," the governor said, adding that the terrorists' sympathizers and supporters were, in fact, betraying the nation.
The jirga was attended by elders of all tribes and sub-tribes of the agency and Senator Mateen Shah and MNA Maulana Nek Zaman. The governor recalled some recent incidents, including the killing of three foreigners in the agency, saying that these incidents indicated that foreigners were present in the agency.
This time the government would not adopt 'the same line of action' of holding jirgas repeatedly, forming lashkars or demolishing houses. The government would straight-away take action against the people responsible for providing shelter to foreigners, he warned.
"We don't want this fire to engulf North Waziristan Agency as well," the governor said. Such a situation would damage the interest of the people of the agency, he added.
The governor referred to the amnesty offered earlier to foreigners and said that the government was ready to allow these people to stay provided the tribes hosting them guaranteed that they would conduct themselves properly.
"We will fulfil the requirements of the tribesmen but would not allow terrorism in the area," the governor vowed. Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah termed the development process in Fata as unprecedented, saying that Fata was getting nine billion rupees for development.
A real development revolution would take place as a result of these spending, he remarked. Counting various sources of funding in the North Waziristan Agency, including the ADP and special projects, the governor said that Rs1.3 billion were being spent on development in the current year in the agency.
The governor appreciated the tribesmen's interest in the election for agency councils and hoped that the new system would accelerate development. With this system, the governor said, the government was delegating its powers and authority to the elected representatives.
AGENCY COUNCILLORS: Addressing newly elected agency councillors, the governor said that peace and development could not be guaranteed unless people were made masters of their own destiny.
The governor said people must be empowered to take decisions according to their needs and requirements. He said locally elected representative were in a better position to decide what development projects or facilities were need of the people of a certain area.
He said elected councils were like jirgas where decisions were taken collectively. In the system, he said, an individual had no power or authority; rather all the powers rested with the council as a whole and that was a true democratic approach.
Only the decisions taken by the majority of council members would be implemented, he said and added that the councils would play a significant role in development as the ADP would be approved by the council and implemented under the supervision of its respective sub committees.
The governor said besides getting all the perks and privileges being enjoyed by their counterparts in rest of the country, the Agency councillors would also have a full-fledged secretariat. He suggested that the council should elect a chairperson for each session separately.
Later the governor visited various development projects. He inaugurated a new block comprising 6 additional class rooms in the Al-Azhar Public School. The project has recently been completed at a cost of Rs4.219 million.
He also laid foundation stone of remodelling of the Agency Headquarter Hospital Miramshah. The project, to be completed at a cost of Rs34 million, would convert the present set up into a modern hospital with the latest facilities.
The governor also formally inaugurated a newly build sports stadium in Miramshah, which is the second one in FATA. Later the governor visited the Miramshah Radio Station and inaugurated its newly constructed building.
Director General Media (FATA) Shah Zaman Khan briefed the governor about the programs being put on air by the radio station, which is second broadcasting centre in FATA; the first being in Wana.
The governor said local talent should be encouraged to participate in different radio programs. He also conveyed, on the radio, his message of felicitation to the people of North Waziristan Agency on its formal inauguration.
