PESHAWAR, May 24: The All-Fata Agency Councillors’ Alliance has urged the new NWFP governor to immediately call back military troops engaged in Waziristan and use the traditional tribal jirga to solve problems of the area.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club here on Wednesday, Taj Mahal Afridi, secretary-general of the alliance, welcomed the appointment of Lt-Gen (rtd) Ali Mohammad Jan Orakzai as the governor and hoped that it would help improve the situation in Fata agencies.

He denied that any development schemes had been launched in Fata, saying only hollow promises were being made due to which people had lost confidence in the government.

Councillors from the seven tribal agencies – Hashim Khan Afridi( Khyber), Ali Mohammad Wazir (South Waziristan), Abdul Wadood Faqir Mohmand (Mohmand), Masam Khan (Bajaur), Sher Badshah (Orakzai) Malik Noor Akbar (Kurrum) and Malik Khan Marjan (North Waziristan) – also spoke on the occasion.

Taj Mahal Afridi said Mr Orakzai, who hails from Orakzai Agency, was aware of problems of the tribal belt and hoped that he would solve the issues through negotiations.

“The new governor is our own blood and will avoid doing any thing that can inflict harm to his fellow tribesmen,” he said.

He said tribesmen were patriotic people and earlier they had welcomed deployment of troops in Fata for establishment of health facilities, water supply schemes and construction of roads in some areas of the agencies.

Mr Afridi regretted that after retirement of Mr Orakzai as the Corps Commander of Peshawar, all development schemes were suspended.

Some councillors recalled that the law and order situation in Fata was better during the stint of the new governor as the Corps Commanders but it worsened after his retirement.

“We welcome his appointment as the new governor and extend him full support and cooperation,” they added.

A councillor from the troubled South Waziristan said that since the launch of the operation in the area, businessmen of the agency were losing Rs60 million a day.

Therefore, he said, the ongoing military operation in Fata should be stopped immediately and troops should be called back to barracks.

The councillors also denied claims by the government regarding the killing and arrest of foreign militants in the tribal areas.

They said no foreigner had been killed or arrested in the area and if the government claimed so, it should present them before the nation.

They also denied the presence of foreign militants in Fata.