News
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
President urges people of FATA to participate in election* Zardari tells grand jirga that security concerns, fragile law and order situation should not be a hindrance in the way of voting
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Monday urged the people of the tribal areas to enthusiastically participate in the election process and elect the representatives who can bring about a positive change in their lives.
Addressing a grand tribal jirga of elders from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) at the Presidency, the president said the country was heading towards a democratic transition for the first time in its history. He urged the people from the tribal belt not to be deterred and participate in the electoral process so that they elect true representatives who can help resolve the problems they are facing.
He said that security concerns and fragile law and order situation should not be a hindrance in the way of voting. He said that he himself has suffered and given sacrifices in the war against militancy, and mentioned the assassination of his wife and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The jirga was also attended by Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah, federal ministers, elders from different Agencies of FATA, FATA ACS, Dr Tashfeen Khan, senior officials of FATA Secretariat and high officials.
President Zardari said a nation that does not change its circumstances should not expect anyone else to bring about a change for them. “You have skilled manpower, highly qualified engineers, doctors and other professionals who can play their active role in bringing about a socio-economic change in their respective areas,” the president said. He mentioned the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and said that despite some initial resistance in some parts of FATA, the programme has now started receiving attention.
He said a number of features can later be added to the programme, that can cater to the health, education and stipends for the tribal people through BISP social safety net. President Zardari said that the democratic government had from day one been doing a lot for the uplift of the area and to bring it at par with the developed areas of the country. He said the appointment of a governor from FATA was the right step in the direction and will go a long way in bringing the area into the national mainstream and also to acknowledge it as an important part of the country and also to recognise the sacrifices of its people.
The president termed the valiant and courageous people of FATA as “defenders of the frontiers”. He acknowledged their sacrifices and struggle, along with the armed forces of the country, to make Pakistan a safer place to live. The president said the democratic government in the past five years has taken a number of measures for the uplift of tribal people and have opened for the first time opportunity for reforms in FATA that had been denied for the past over a century. He said besides giving a new judicial system, the people of tribal areas have been allowed, for the first time, to freely participate in political activities.
The president said the new judicial system in FATA ensures due process, the right to appeal and the right to bail – again for the first time, adding that actually it is a leap forward for the people of FATA towards freedoms, liberties, human rights and political participation. The president said that those considering reforms in FATA as small and late, should realise that the door has finally opened and urged all to work together to further open up the window of opportunity. The president, however stressed that the driver for change in FATA must come from within FATA and cannot be imposed from outside. He said any changes and reforms must respect tribal customs and traditions as any attempt without it at reforms will ultimately fail. Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the president urged the need for devising a monitoring mechanism to oversee the implementation on ground of FATA reforms. He said it was important that the reforms were fully implemented and that it must be ensured that the people actually benefit from these.
The spokesperson said referring to the development projects, the president assured that along with the Gomal Zam project, Bara dam will also be constructed to meet water and energy needs of the area. He stressed the need to address the twin issues of power shortages and water reservoirs in the tribal areas and urged the FATA Secretariat to step up efforts for setting up of FATA Information Technology University and FATA Medical College. The president mentioned the new model for development wherein the people of tribal areas will be partners in the development projects and the industries that will be set up through the concept of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in tribal areas will be jointly owned by the local people. The president congratulated the tribal elders over these historic achievements and complimented the previous government. appCourtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk