Bilawal for self governance in tribal areas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday called for self governance in tribal areas and said that the involvement of the people of tribal areas in self governance was critical to ending militancy and for mainstreaming the tribal areas.

“Tribesmen with stakes in their governance structures will be a stronger force against aliens and militants in their midst than any other force,” he said in a meeting with convener PPP Fata Chapter Akhunzada Chattan here at the Zardari House on Sunday to review the party issues.

Bhutto said after the extension of the Political Parties Order to the tribal areas, it was incumbent upon the PPP to vigorously reach out to the people with political messaging.He said the political message of the PPP to the tribal people is that party is committed to ensure their empowerment through instruments of self governance. “Our message is that we will strive for their basic rights as are available under the Constitution to the people of other parts of the country,” he said.

Bilawal said that previously only one narrative dominated the political-religious discourse in the tribal areas, which hampered social and political development. “The Political Parties Order was extended to the tribal areas by the previous PPP government to enable them to benefit from alternate political narratives and freely make their political choices,” he added.Akhunzada Chattan briefed the chairman PPP on the overall party situation in the tribal areas and the progress made in the re-organisation process.