PESHAWAR, Sept 13: The European Union observers team here on Friday met tribesmen to discuss arrangements for the next general elections in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

A press release said that the Jamaat-i-Islami, Khyber Agency, delegation, led by its general secretary Zar Noor Afridi held a meeting with a two-member observers team at Al-Markaz-i- Islami, the Jamaat’s provincial secretariat in Peshawar.

The tribesmen informed the observers that holding elections in the seven tribal agencies were looking difficult in the backdrop of paramilitary forces operation in South and North Waziristan Agencies and the standoff between the government and the tribesmen of Khyber Agency over the recovery of electricity dues.

They told the observers that the government had backed out from its commitment to give representation to Fata in the NWFP assembly. The observers team was appraised about the prevailing uncertainty and law and order situation in tribal agencies and alleged that some official circles wanted to postpone the elections in Fata.

They asked the observers to pressurise the government to amend the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) and constitute a team to visit the area.

The press release said that the European Union observers assured the delegation that a team would soon visit tribal areas to monitor arrangements for the general elections and the proposed reforms package for the area.