LANDI KOTAL, Dec 2: An Alliance of councillors in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has deferred until Dec 20 a protest campaign after NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman assured them of addressing their complaints against the political administration of all the seven tribal agencies.

During a meeting with members of the agency councils on Thursday, the governor told them that their monthly stipend would be restored immediately and political agents would be directed to hold monthly meetings with respective councils.

The governor said that the status of these councils had not been notified yet and, therefore, these could not be fully empowered. The councillors asked for a say in the administrative affairs of the tribal agencies, the sources said.

Talking to this correspondent, alliance chief Amal Khan Mehsud, however, said that the governor’s statement about the status of the agency councils would generate a new controversy.

Earlier on Nov 13, the alliance had threatened to tender resignations in protest against what they called a non-cooperative behaviour of the political administration. Later, it announced a plan to hold a demonstration in front of the Parliament House in Islamabad on Nov 30 to press for the acceptance of their demands.

The demonstration was cancelled after a call from the Governor’s House for a meeting with councillors on Dec 1.

Relations between the agency councils and political administrations have been tense since Dec 1, 2004, the day councillors took oath of their office. Political authorities refused to entertain the councillors’ demand for the office of nazim and instead political agents themselves assumed the charge of chairman of these councils. Majority of councillors complain that they have not been given the powers they were promised before the formation of councils.

Murad Sagi, a spokesman for the councillors’ alliance, said they were never taken into confidence about the allocation and execution of development schemes.

He alleged that their stipends were stopped and political agents refused to call meetings of councillors and their offices were forcibly closed by the administration.

Sources told Dawn that a delegation of Fata councillors had also met US Consul Michel Spangler in Peshawar and apprised him about their grievances. During the meeting the councillors had reportedly accused the authorities of misappropriating the foreign funds allocated for tribal areas.

Mr Spangler had reportedly told the delegation that sanction of aid for Fata in future would be difficult unless it was spent through the representatives of tribal people.

The councillors’ alliance has now resolved to meet on Dec 20 to evolve a strategy if the promises made by the governor are not fulfilled.