Peace in Fata crucial for region’s prosperity: Mahtab

PESHAWAR: Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan said on Monday that the prosperity of Pakistan and peace of the entire region was linked with sustainable peace and stability in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
He said initiatives had been taken to alleviate poverty, backwardness and to reduce the sense of deprivation among the tribal people and bring them in the mainstream of life.
The governor added that backwardness and lawlessness were not the destiny of tribesmen. He stated that future of the tribal region would be decided as per the wishes and aspirations of locals.
He expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence at the Governor’s House on Monday.
Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Hidayatur Rehman, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour, Senator Abdul Qayyum, Senator Salahuddin Tirmizi, Senator Attaur Rehman, Senator Hidayatullah Khan, Senator Javed Abbasi, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amjad Ali Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Fata Muhammad Aslam Kamboh, Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani and other officials attended the meeting.
The meeting vowed to bring the tribesmen in the mainstream of the national development by initiating solid and comprehensive reforms package for Fata.
The meeting deliberated various aspects of current security situation in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and discussed implementation of the reconstruction and rehabilitation strategy for the tribal region.
The governor urged the world community to play their due role in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the tribal region as the tribesmen suffered a lot due to extremism and militancy and paid a heavy price for the maintenance of the peace and stability in the region.
The committee lauded the close liaison between Fata administration, provincial government and security forces for the establishment of peace in the tribal areas and expressed the resolve that the existence of the terrorists would not be tolerated in the tribal areas and appreciated the exemplary cooperation between the security forces and the tribal population to this effect.
The governor said the government was well aware of the problems and difficulties of tribal people and every step would be taken to utilise all available resources for their complete rehabilitation.
He said the 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had already returned to their native areas since the start of the repatriation process in March this year.
The repatriated tribesmen have been provided relief package in a transparent manner, he added.
Secretary Law and order Fata Shakil Qadir briefed the meeting in detail about the prevailing law and order in Fata.