Elders ask govt to stop exploiting tribal resources

GHALLANAI: The elders of Mohmand tribal district on Saturday asked the government to stop humiliating them in the name of merger and stop exploiting their resources.

Speaking at a grand jirga at Lakaro area, Malik Zahir Shah, Mailk Firdous Safi, Dr Hayat Muhammad, Rabnawaz Khan, Noor Islam Safi, Jangraiz Khan of PPP, Naveed Ahmed of PTI and others said that they had not demanded the merger where the law worse than FCR had been enforced in the tribal district.

They said that the innocent prisoners should be produced before the court, adding that the provincial government was assisting a mafia to usurp the mineral resources in the tribal districts. “The 800 Khassadars sacked during militancy should be reinstated at the earliest,” Malik Zahir Shah said. They said that the people should be dealt in a civilized manner at the security checkposts and reopen the Nadra office for the locals for getting their national identity cards. They said the hours-long loadshedding be stopped and improve the condition of the education and schools in the district.

“The Bajaur-Peshawar road should be made safe by making speed-breakers in the populated areas to avoid loss of lives,” Dr Hayat Muhammad said. They threatened to stage protest if their genuine demands were not materialized.