KHAR: All Bajaur Political Parties Alliance on Wednesday announced to launch a final round of protest movement after Eidul Fitr to push the federal government to implement the much-delayed Fata reforms.

It would be our last, but the most effective phase of the campaign,” said Qari Abdul Majeed, the alliance president, while talking to reporters here.

He said the decision in that regard had been made at a meeting of the alliance a few days ago, adding public meetings, protest demonstrations, rallies and sit-ins would be organised during the campaign.

Before launching the campaign, the alliance leader said corner meetings would be arranged in different areas of the agency to mobilise the people against the unnecessary delay in implementing the governance reforms in Fata.

He welcomed the Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent statement calling for expediting the Fata reforms, saying positive changes in the tribal areas were necessary for sustainable development and durable peace.

He stressed that implementation of reforms was vital for sustaining the gains achieved by the anti-militancy operations. He said delaying tactics had exposed the government’s intentions that it wasn’t serious in resolving the tribesmen’s problems.

PROTEST AGAINST NGO: Locals on Wednesday staged a protest against an NGO over alleged favouritism in its activities.

The protesters gathered outside the office of National Integrated Development Association (NIDA), chanting slogans against its management. They blamed it for ignoring the needy people in its different development initiatives.

They accused it of giving development schemes to influential and blue-eyed people instead of benefitting the community as a whole.

They alleged that the NGO took money before approving any water supply or other scheme. They said the NGO had selected people for an upcoming training workshop in Italy, ignoring the deserving people.

The protesters said according to the NGO’s policy, only those persons could be eligible to attend the training workshop in Italy who had been associated with it as volunteers for two years. However, they said those who had been selected for training had no association with the NGO.

Meanwhile, an official of the NGO rejected the allegations and said the organisation was busy in several community-based initiatives, benefitting people across the board.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2017