PESHAWAR: Irrespective of political affiliation, youth from all areas of Fata jointly held a grand convention to discuss ongoing challenges and also honour those, who excelled in their academic fields.

Fata Students Organisation (FSO) held the convention in Nishtar Hall here on Sunday that was attended by a large number of youth including girls and activists of various student federations associated with the political parties. FSO organises tuition classes, seminars, awards scholarships and gives talent awards to youth of Fata.

The convention was held to discuss the current state of reforms, merger of tribal area with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and delay in conducting local government elections in Fata.

Through a joint declaration, the youth gave one month deadline to the government to pass the bill regarding extension of the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to Fata from Senate that had been passed by the National Assembly.

Speakers at convention resent delay in LG polls in tribal areas

“In case of delay, FSO will mobilise youth to march on Islamabad,” said the declaration. The convention demanded amendments to Articles 246 and 247 of the Constitution to pave way for merger of Fata with KP.

Former Fata parliamentarian Munir Khan Orakzai, Pakhtun Olasi Tehreek president Dr Said Alam Mehsud, Fata Lawyers Forum president Rahim Shah Afridi, Awami National Party leader from Khyber Agency Shah Hussain Shinwari, Advocate Karim Mehsud and Ibrar Hussain Turi addressed the convention.

Addressing the convention, Dr Mehsud said that the recent sit-in in Islamabad organised by Pakhtun jirga awakened Pakhtuns and gave strength to them. He said that all Pakhtuns participated in the protest irrespective of their cast and background.

Criticising policies of the state institutions, he said that Pakhtuns were being converted into gypsy and portrayed as terrorists. He said that state institutions radicalised youth of Pakhtun nation to protect strategic interests.

Rahim Shah Afridi Advocate said that the state organs were not prepared to give constitutional rights to tribal people and bring the region into the mainstream.

He said that British rulers used the tribal belt as buffer zone and the state of Pakistan continued that policy. He said that thousands of seminaries were established in the Pakhtun dominated areas during the Afghan war to use the youth as mercenaries and suicide bombers.

Karim Mehsud said that the government committed fraud through passing a bill from the National Assembly to extend role of superior courts to the tribal areas. He said that jurisdiction of the apex courts was being extended but mechanism for the subordinate judiciary had not been prepared. Like other areas of the country, the government should separate executive from the judiciary, he added.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2018