ANP leader blames govt for post-merger problems in ex-Fata

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday blamed the government’ negligence for the post-merger problems in erstwhile tribal districts.

Speaking at a press conference at the Bacha Khan Markaz, ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said that the government had ignored the merged districts and was not fulfilling the promises made with the people of these districts at the time of merger.

He was accompanied by members of the committee constituted for land disputes in merged districts. Aimal Wali said the ANP-constituted nine-member committee led by the MPA from Mohmand district, which visited the merged districts. He said that Mahsud and Bhittani tribes had land dispute in FR Jandola, adding that the committee had negotiated the issue with the disputing parties and hoped that the issue would be resolved soon. The extremist elements were regrouping in the merged districts, he claimed, adding that their activities must be controlled or else it could cause uncontrollable damage.

The ANP provincial chief claimed that influential people were cutting forests in North Waziristan while the locals were not allowed to get woods from their own forests. He also claimed that the markets constructed by the government were of low standard. He said that coalmines had been illegally occupied and tribes had been deprived of their rights, adding that mines issue in Darra Adamkhel had been resolved but it became a bone of contention between two tribes due to the lack of interest on part of the administration. The ANP leader maintained that Taliban were regrouping in Bajaur, adding that militants were collecting extortion from the public but the government was not bothered.

Aimal Wali said that Kukikhel tribe in Khyber district had been demanding the IDPs status for months but the government was indifferent to their plight. The Pak-Afghan trade routes must be opened as the economy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was dependent on the trade between the two countries, he added.

He said the government had neither worked on the allocation of three percent share in the National Finance Commission award nor released the promised amount of Rs100 billion annually for the development of these districts.

He asked the government to make arrangements for the survey of damage from Bajaur to Waziristan as the public was not satisfied with the previous survey. He also criticised the levying of 17 percent tax, saying that it was promised at the time of merger that the tax would not be levied for 10 years. He said the government instead of providing jobs to the residents of these districts had made thousands of tribal youth jobless. He also demanded restoration of internet service in merged districts.