PESHAWAR, Oct 12: The NWFP chapter of the Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto) on Thursday demanded a separate assembly for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to legislate for the tribal belt.

Addressing a press conference, Zahoorul Haq Qureshi, provincial chief of the PPP-SB, also demanded a timetable for withdrawal of Nato forces from Afghanistan, and said saying that presence of the forces in neighbouring Afghanistan posed threat to internal security of Pakistan

He said that an independent election commission should be constituted before next elections. If it was done, he added, his party would field candidates from all the constituencies in the province.

On the peace agreement with local Taliban in North Waziristan, he said it was a laudable move, made possible due to the efforts of NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai.

About provincial autonomy, he said complete financial autonomy should be given to the province and union councils should also be made financially autonomous.—ppi