June 22, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1427

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PESHAWAR, June 21: The Fata Grand Alliance has called upon the government to allocate a share in the National Finance Commission award for tribal areas.

A meeting of the alliance was held at a hotel here on Tuesday, which was attended by people of the tribal areas. Sardar Amal Jan Mahsud presided over the meeting. The meeting adopted resolutions urging the government to constitute jirgas in every tribal agency and create an independent Fata council for the tribal areas.

It demanded that financial assistance announced for Fata by the government and foreign donors should be spent on welfare of the tribal people under supervision of elected councillors and members of the jirga and the Fata council.

It said reforms made in the tribal system without the consent of the local people, which changed or affected the traditions, culture or the jirga system, would not be acceptable to them.

The meeting said the tribesmen would not accept any move aimed at changing the status of agencies or declaring them settled areas.

It said recommendations of the FCR Reforms Committee, headed by Justice (retd) Mian Mohammad Ajmal, should be made public and incorporated in the system immediately.

The meeting welcomed a proposal of setting up of industrial zones in the tribal areas, saying the zones should be established with the consent of the local people and the Fata Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The participants also took exception to propaganda unleashed in certain sections of the media against tribal traditions and tribesmen, saying the tribal people were peace-loving and patriotic citizens. The alliance announced formation of a 40-member organising council to plan the future course of action.

The meeting said seats for tribal students in professional colleges and universities should be increased and their scholarships and other incentives restored.