PESHAWAR, Jan 13: The Awami National Party (ANP) has demanded of the federal government to allow political activities in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to help the people come out of isolation and arrest the increasing influence of religio-political parties in the region.
ANP leaders, who spoke at the day-long 'Tribal Jirga' convened at the party's headquarters here on Monday, were unanimous in their contention that political parties should be allowed to carry out activities in Fata to forestall increasing influence of religio-political parties in the tribal belt.
Begum Nasim Wali Khan, chief of the ANP's NWFP chapter, presided over the jirga. The speakers including ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, provincial general secretary Farid Toofan, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and others criticized the government for not lifting ban on carrying out political activities in Fata.
They said that ban on political activities in Fata had resulted in growing influence of extremists and fundamentalists in the tribal belt. They termed the government's policies as flawed observing that on the one hand political activities in Fata were prohibited while on the other elections were held allowing people to elect their representatives.
"This reflects double standards on the part of the successive federal governments," said Ms Khan. The ANP leaders said that the penetration of extremists in Fata helped the religio-political parties to get their nominees elected from the tribal belt under the last elections.
She said that the people of tribal areas believed in peace and non-violence, hence, they should not give protection to terrorists in their areas. "Earlier, Osama bin Laden destroyed Afghanistan and now he is bent upon to play havoc with Fata," she said and added: "Islam is the religion of peace and prohibits terrorism."
She said that Pukhtuns should not be harassed in the name of flushing out terrorism. The ANP leaders took exception to the role of leaders of religio-political parties of Pakistan.
They said that leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal were "enjoying double benefits", adding that they were simultaneously playing the role of an opposition and enjoying the benefits of the ruling elite.
On the one hand they were opposing President Gen Pervez Musharraf for carrying out operations in Fata targeting terrorists and on the other they strengthened his rule by helping him to get through, from parliament, the 17th amendment to the Constitution.
The ANP leaders also took exception to the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) - governing Fata - and demanded of the federal government to repeal it bringing the tribal areas in the main stream to help people of the area keep out of the increasing influence of extremism.