May 22, 2006	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1427

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WANA, May 21: Fata councillors have rejected the peace jirga proposal for North Waziristan Agency and urged the government to engage true representatives of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) in the peace process.

The government had announced last week to form a grand jirga to hold negotiations with tribal militants to restore peace in the troubled agency.

A convention of councillors from the six tribal agencies was held in Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday.

The convention was organised to discuss the prevailing law and order situation in Fata, particularly in North and South Waziristan agencies.

The convention expressed serious concern over the lawlessness in the tribal areas and demanded of the government to induct real representatives of Fata in the proposed grand jirga.

The participating councillors held tribal elders and maliks responsible for deterioration of law and order situation and maintained that peace could not be restored on permanent basis without taking people’s representatives into confidence. They said maliks and so-called elders were responsible for the lawlessness in Fata, adding that the Waziristan issue could only be resolved in accordance with tribal customs and traditions.