PESHAWAR, Jan 24: NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has underlined the need for attitudinal change in Fata, urging students and youth of tribal areas to play their due role in this regard.

“Let’s take Fata out of isolation physically and mentally and bring it to the mainstream of national life,” he said while speaking at separate meetings of university students of Fata and tribal youth at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday.

Members of both the delegations, numbering in hundreds, were drawn from all the seven tribal agencies and six FRs.

The governor urged the younger generation to equip themselves with education, which was indeed the ultimate power. He said the government was paying full attention towards the development of education in Fata for which huge budget had been allocated.

He said education in Fata was being put on the right track and resources were being generated to bring further improvements.

Mr Aurakzai announced the formation of a sub-committee, comprising one representative each from seven agencies and six FRs to prepare consolidated recommendations about the problems and demands of Fata students. He said practical steps would be taken for implementation of these recommendations.

He also dilated over the situation prevailing in tribal areas in the aftermath of 9/11 and said that Fata had come under global focus and was faced with a challenging situation.

“We must be cognizant of these challenges and should convert these into opportunities,” he said.

He lamented that good things about the people of Fata were not talked about and only the grey areas were being highlighted with great fervour.

The reason for this perception was the self-imposed isolation of the tribesmen, he said, adding that the tribesmen needed to get out of it.