PESHAWAR, Jan 20: Speakers at a condolence meeting on Thursday said that tribal areas were passing through a critical phase as militants pursuing the agenda of the ‘establishment’ had made the entire tribal population hostage. The speakers said that in South and North Waziristan agencies there was no freedom of expression at present as target killings had become a common practice. They said that journalists from South Waziristan had moved to settled areas owing to the killings.

The condolence meeting was held to pay tributes to prominent tribal reformist and academician, Dr Mumtaz Ali Bangash, who died a few days ago. Dr Bangash remained member of various committees constituted for introducing reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. He was convener of the Fata Reforms Committee which in 2001-02 put forward a comprehensive reform package for the tribal areas.

The meeting was addressed by ANP deputy secretary-general Afrasiab Khattak, human rights activist I. A. Rehman, former MNA Lateef Afridi, Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party deputy secretary-general Dr Said Alam Mehsud, renowned poet and writer Dr Azam, Aurat Foundation resident director Rukhshanda Naz, PPP leader Syed Ayub Shah, Ijaz Khan Khattak, Dr Sarfaraz Ahmad and others.

Mr Khattak said the death of Mr Bangash was a great loss for the tribal people at a crucial time as they had been made hostage by militants. “Mr Bangash had struggled for freedom of expression, right to vote and reforms in the tribal areas,” he added.

The ANP leader said that the government on one hand was supporting the US war on terror and on the other it had been supporting the Taliban.

He said: “Who helped Al Zawahiri to escape from the spot where missiles were fired by the US planes in Bajaur?”

He regretted that on both sides of the Durand Line innocent Pukhtuns were being killed.

Lateef Afridi said that nobody could express his or her opinion in the volatile tribal region and even supporters of President Gen Pervez Musharraf could not utter a word against the militants.

“The militants are roaming freely in the tribal areas and tribesmen are at a loss due to the situation,” he added.

Mr Afridi said that Mr Bangash was not only a tribal reformist rather he also played role in reforming the education system. “Despite being a professor at 0the Peshawar University, he freely expressed his views in support of democracy even during the time of late Gen Ziaul Haq rule,” he added.

I. A. Rehman said that Mr Bangash helped him clear his vision about the tribal areas. He said that the deceased had always struggled against inhuman tribal customs and traditions.

Dr Said Alam Mehsud said that Mr Bangash had been a great reformist and had always struggled for the rights of his people.