ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi on Monday said the state was actively taking steps to provide a ‘healing touch’ to the people of tribal areas, who had been badly affected during the war against terrorism.
He was chairing a meeting here on addressing issues facing the people of North and South Waziristan. The MNAs backed by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, also attended the meeting and briefed the minister on various problems being faced by the people of the area.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has always supported the demands of the tribal people and while we are in power, we will make sure that the people here are served. No complacency will be tolerated in this regard,” the minister said, adding that the federal government would protect and promote the rights of people and all state institutions would facilitate the mainstreaming of tribal people without any delay.
Additional secretaries of the interior ministry Tariq Sardar and Abdul Aziz Uqaili, the director general of passports, Nadra chairman and other officials of the ministry were present.
Mr Afridi informed the meeting that Nadra had cleared blocked CNICs of around 180,000 people, while the cases of the rest of 155,000 blocked CNICs were being looked into.
Directing Nadra and passports & immigration officials to immediately set up mobile offices in North and South Waziristan, Mr Afridi said all recruitments should be local, employing the youth of the area. He also instructed that it must be ensured that female employees from local tribes were recruited to register women.
“I want to make sure that all the ministry departments should serve the people at large, especially those segments that have been ignored in the past,” he said. “I would not compromise upon or tolerate any negative attitude when it comes to serving the masses. All misunderstandings should be redressed through us delivering rather than providing rhetoric.”
He added that all the issues raised by the lawmakers from Waziristan should be resolved as soon as possible. Congratulating the people of Waziristan on the launch of 3G internet services in Bajaur and other parts of the tribal areas, the minister said the PTI government would not leave any stone unturned in helping develop the underdeveloped areas of the country with a specific focus on Waziristan.
“We owe [much] to the sacrifices made by the tribal people who fought all our wars on the frontlines. They guarded our borders when our military was fighting wars. They took the brunt of terrorism. Now it is about time that we build the infrastructure destroyed in the war against terrorism. I assure you that we will do whatever is needed to empower the people of tribal areas,” the minister stated.
Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2019
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.