PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has urged the federal government to fulfill its promises made with the people of merged districts in the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

Addressing a gathering of the party workers at Bacha Khan Markaz here on Friday, ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain claimed the problems of the tribal districts had increased after the merger.

A group of political workers from South Waziristan led by Anwar Hayat Mehsud joined ANP on the occasion, according to a statement.

“The merged districts are rich in resources but the people there are deprived of having control over them,” he said, adding the victims’ families of Waziristan and other areas, who suffered in the war against terrorism, have not received compensation till date. “All internally displaced persons should be resettled in their native areas and given proper compensation,” the ANP leader said.

Iftikhar demands early return of displaced persons to their homes

Mr Hussain said due to the destruction of markets and bazaars the business activities in these districts had come to a standstill. “The people of the merged districts have to be brought on par with the rest of the country in development,” he said, adding the incidents of mortar shells falling on houses in Tirah valley of Khyber district were sad, noting that in a recent incident in Tirah valley two children were martyred and many others were seriously injured when a mortar shell landed in the region.

He added a few weeks ago, a similar incident took place in which 15 children were injured.

The ANP leader demanded an investigation to know as to why such incidents were happening again and again.

“The government should ensure justice to the families of the victims and provide the best health facilities to the injured,” he said.

The ANP leader alleged that conspiracies were being hatched to capture resources of Pakhtuns.

He alleged that under a plan, the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been created to the detriment of commercial activities.

The ANP provincial chief said if trade routes were opened with India, why they were kept closed with Afghanistan. He said the capital/investment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was shifting to Punjab due to the closure of trade routes with Afghanistan.

Expressing his concern over the terror incidents taking place in the province, he asked the government to take serious measures for restoration of durable peace. He asked the provincial government to make serious efforts for obtaining billions of arrears of the province from the federal government.

ANP provincial vice-president Shahi Khan Sherani, provincial general secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai, party’s Khyber president Shah Hussain Shinwari, Ayaz Wazir, Abdul Razzaq Afridi and other office-bearers were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024