PESHAWAR: Expressing concern over the worsening law and order in the tribal districts, an All-Parties Conference of the newly merged districts on Monday urged the government to take practical steps for restoration and maintenance of peace in the tribal districts.
The conference was convened by the Jamaat-e-Islami here. Representatives of all the political parties attended the conference. Provincial president of the Jamaat-e-Islami Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan presided over the conference.
A joint declaration adopted on the occasion stated that peace and order was the most serious issue of the merged districts. The incidents of target killing and other crimes were reported in the tribal districts on a daily basis, which gave the impression that the situation in those areas was being deteriorated deliberately. The conference stressed that restoration of peace should be made top priority and concrete steps should be taken for restoration of peace.
The conference demanded the government to exempt the merged district from taxes till development of the areas.The participants stressed that the tribal district should be developed like other parts of the country.
They also urged the government to fulfill its promises made with the tribal areas before merger that Rs100 billion would be given to those areas on yearly basis for 10 years for development. The tribal areas should also be given three percent share in the National Finance Commission Award.
The conference maintained that the number of seats in the National Assembly for tribal districts should be enhanced to 12 and in the provincial assembly to 24. Their rights over the mines and minerals should be recognised and the process for mines’ lease should be made easy, they said.
The participants in the conference also pointed out that the offices of the administrations and the courts were located outside the tribal districts. The deputy commissioners and other administrative officers should be made to sit in their respective districts, they maintained.
For employment of the tribal youth, they demanded interest-free loans and creation of jobs in the hitherto neglected tribal districts. They said that in line with the promises made with them already, 30,000 local youth should be recruited in various departments.
They said that the houses of the tribal people were demolished during the militancy and military operations and the people are yet to get compensation. Therefore, the process should be expedited and the affected people should be given compensation at the earliest.
Steps should also be taken for promotion of quality education and giving better health facilities to the tribal people. Sports should also be promoted in the tribal areas, they stressed. Talking to the media after the conference, Prof Ibraheem Khan said that the government should shun the policies introduced by late General (retired) Pervez Musharraf and concrete steps should be taken for restoration of peace.
He said that despite countless military operations, exemplary peace could not be established in the tribal districts. The JI leader stressed that the visa restriction for trade with Afghanistan should be done away with and the trade routes passing through tribal areas to the bordering country should be restored. He said that cordial ties with Afghanistan were necessary for peace and development in the tribal areas as well as the entire country.