PESHAWAR: The Waziristan chapter of Fata Grand Alliance has lauded the presidential order regarding participation of tribal lawmakers in Senate elections and demanded effective steps for bringing normalcy and development to Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Fata Grand Alliance chairman Malik Khan Marjan Wazir said that President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain made a right decision by issuing order to delay Senate elections in Fata. The people were hopeful about strengthening of democracy in the tribal belt, he added.

He said that the order minimised chances of horse-trading in the Senate elections. He added that rigging of elections had brought a bad name to democracy in the country and it was duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure fair, impartial and transparent polls.

“We are thankful to the President for taking immediate action against rigging in the Senate elections,” Mr Wazir said. He asked Fata parliamentarians to raise voice for the rights of tribal people in National Assembly and avoid indulging in horse-trading.

Says it will minimise chances of horse-trading among tribal MNAs

He said that successive governments had always neglected Fata and no practical step had so far been taken for development of the tribal areas and prosperity of tribal people despite the fact that they protected the borders of the country since its independence.

Mr Wazir called for convening all-party conference to discuss the issue of 1.8 million internally displaced persons from North Waziristan Agency and their early repatriation to their native areas.

Qadeer Dawar, another tribal elder, urged the federal government on the occasion to convene a jirga of tribal elders to find out an amicable solution to the problems being faced by the tribal people.

He said that displaced families were faced with different problems.

The federal government had so far failed to facilitate the IDPs in real sense, he said, adding they were in dire need of basic facilities.

Mr Dawar said that the new generation of IDPs would grow uneducated owing to displacement, unavailability of educational institutions and financial constraints. He said that in the past educated youth of tribal regions used to take part in the competitive examinations but they were unable to get even basic education in the prevailing situation, he added.

The tribal elder urged Fata lawmakers to play their role effectively for rehabilitation of the displaced families, approval of a financial package for them and opening of all government offices, educational institutions and hospitals in the tribal areas.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2015

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