PESHAWAR, Dec 8: Expressing concern over the problems faced by the tribal people, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) has urged the government to hold local bodies’ elections in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, QWP chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said that tribal people could not get easy justice and basic rights in the presence of Frontier Crimes Regulation. The system needed urgent reforms, he added. Several tribal elders and activists of Awami National Party, led by Abdur Rahim Afridi, Haider Khan, Amjad Afridi, Shaukat Khan and Zarmat Khan, hailing from Khyber Agency announced to join QWP on the occasion.

They reposed confidence in the leadership of Aftab Sherpao and vowed to strengthen the party in the tribal areas.

Mr Sherpao said that despite tall claims, successive governments did not bring Fata people into the main stream so that they could also elect their representatives through ballot and raise voice for their rights. He said that government was bound to implement Fata reforms in real sense.

The QWP chief said that tribal people were facing the worst kind of situation owing to lawlessness as thousands of them were forced to live in camps without basic facilities.

He asked the government to announce a special financial package for development of Fata to bring it at par with other parts of the country. He called upon the international community to come forward and help the Pakhtuns to get access to education, health and other facilities.

Mr Sherpao said that a step-motherly attitude was meted out to the Pakhtuns. He asked the government to provide facilities to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Fata as they were living in pathetic conditions in different camps and residential colonies.

The QWP chief said that tribal people rendered matchless sacrifices for restoration of peace so the government should compensate them for the losses they suffered.

He said that he would soon visit IDP camps to express solidarity with the dislocated people and inform authorities about their problems. “We are serving people irrespective of their political affiliations and efforts will be made to support them in this hour of need,” he added.

Mr Sherpao said that provincial government failed to get arrears of the net hydel profit from the centre. The duration of power loadshedding was also increased that made life of people miserable, he added.

Opposing the PTI’s stand on Nato supplies, Mr Sherpao said that it was a non-issue. Blocking of the supplies was violation of the international law and no one had the right to break seals of the vehicles, he added.

The QWP chief said that PTI was seeking pretexts for winding up the protest camps as it could not sustain its stand.