June 15, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1428

PESHAWAR, June 14: A grand jirga of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas on Thursday urged the government to withdraw combat troops from Fata, and sought representation of the tribal people in the Pakistan-Afghanistan jirga to be held in Kabul in August.

The jirga, comprising 1500 lawyers, Maliks, traders and professionals from seven agencies and six Frontier Regions, was convened to discuss the law and order situation.

It was organised by the Fata Grand Alliance (FGA), headed by Senator Hameedullah Khan Afridi. Interestingly, only four of the 20 parliamentarians from the tribal region attended the jirga. Representatives of political parties were not invited.A joint declaration approved by the jirga asked the government to pull out troops from the region and focus on education instead of conducting military operations.

In their speeches, the tribesmen denounced militancy and the presence of foreign elements, and termed them a major threat to peace in the area.

A banner displayed inside the hall where the jirga was held said: “Tribal people need education, not military operation.”

The jirga said the government should improve the quality of education in the remote region and set up colleges, vocational institutions and a university in Fata.

They also demanded adequate share in the National Finance Commission award and release of funds from the Khushal Pakistan Programme.

The jirga also demanded that royalty from the Warsak Dam should be given to tribal areas.

The alliance asked the federal government to give representation to the tribal people in the Pakistan-Afghan joint jirga and its convener Senator Hameedullah said that without involving the tribesmen, the jirga could not achieve its desired objectives.

He said the bone of contention between the two countries was infiltration of militants and the Afghan government’s claims that Pakistan’s tribal region was being used as militants’ hideout. Therefore, he said, it was essential for the government to involved the tribal people in the peace process.

The tribesmen proposed that the government should constitute an elected assembly for Fata and empower the agency councils. The jirga called upon the government to give preference to tribesmen in jobs in Fata secretariat and other institutions.

The speakers proposed legal reforms in the area and amendments to the Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR). They opposed changes in the Fata territorial jurisdiction, saying the jirga system should be kept intact.