PPP to stand by Fata people for bringing reforms: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Former president and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Thursday said the PPP will stand by the people of tribal areas in their struggle for extending jurisdiction of superior courts to tribal areas, merging it with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and allocating share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

“All pointers whether economic, linguistic, cultural or geographic contiguity made it natural for the tribal areas to be merged in the province,” he said while talking to a delegation of the Tribal Youth Jirga that called on him here at the Zardari House.

The 25-member delegation included representatives of Fata Youth Forum representing all political parties. Renowned Geo News anchor Saleem Safi also accompanied the delegation.

Zardari said that although the bill to extend the jurisdiction of superior courts to tribal areas passed recently by the National Assembly fell far short of expectations and was too little too late, but the PPP will support in the Senate to seize the opportunity and flung open the door for further improvements. He said when the PPP comes into power in this year’s elections, it will move improve the bill and extend the jurisdiction of superior courts to all parts of Fata and with immediate effect.

Reminding that as president he had transferred all powers to the Parliament, he said that for mainstreaming Fata the legislative powers of the president in respect of Fata should also be transferred to the Parliament.