KHAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders in Bajaur Agency on Sunday lashed out at the federal government for ignoring the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in development schemes, saying that no mega development project has been initiated in any tribal region under the incumbent government.

They were addressing a function to mark the 80th foundation day of Muslim Students Federation at a local hotel here. The event was jointly organised by PML-N local chapter and MSF, and attended by a number of party workers.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N local chapter president Rahat Yousaf, general secretary Gul Kareem, Anwarul Haq and MSF president Mohammad Ismail noted that the federal government’s poor policy on Fata’s socio-economic development had badly affected the image of PML-N in the entire tribal areas.

They also flayed the senior party leadership for not visiting the tribal areas to meet with local workers. They pointed out that none of the senior party leaders, including PML-N Fata coordinator Amir Muqam, had visited any tribal agency since 2013 general elections.

These leaders said that PML-N did not arrange any public meeting in the agency since 2013 election. They said that no one would support the party candidates in the upcoming general elections if it wasn’t re-organised on urgent basis.

They urged the federal government to launch development schemes in the entire tribal areas to improve the party’s image among the people.

The participants said that the PML-N government had failed to take any tangible steps for development of the region during the last over four and a half years.

They criticised the discriminatory attitude of the government with the poor tribesmen who had been deprived of their basic rights and facilities since long.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2018