A representative jirga of Tribal Agencies, the FATA Grand Alliance, on Sunday demanded an end to the military operation in the Tribal Areas besides initiating a peace process through dialogue to restore normalcy in the affected areas. The FGA meeting was held under chairmanship of MNA Hameedullah Jan Afridi from Khyber Agency. Representatives of students, teachers, lawyers, businessmen and others attended the meeting. The participants of FGA unanimously passed resolutions for giving FATA status of a separate province and demanded that immediate action should be taken to resolve the grievances of the Tribal Areas. The jirga members gave suggestions to make a forum of FGA to take up issues of the Tribal Areas with the agencies concerned to resolve the grievances of tribesmen. The participants representing different Tribal Agencies gave their suggestions.
Taking to journalists, Hameed said that all segments of society belonging to FATA gathered at the platform of FDA and raised their voice for peace and stability in their respective areas where routine life was paralysed due to military operation and the War Against Terror. He said that it is very unfortunate that innocent people are becoming victims of the operation and a large number of citizens of FATA had died and injured in attacks whereas their families were not given any financial assistance until now. The MNA said that people of FATA were badly frustrated after being deprived of their basic rights and struggling a lot to get necessities of life. He said that the FATA Grand Alliance would be made an effective platform to divert the attention of quarters concerned towards the issues of the Tribal Areas. The representatives of the alliance gave their suggestions and said that a comprehensive strategy would be evolved with mutual consultation to fulfill the demands of inhabitants of the Tribal Areas. It was also decided to organise regular meetings of the FDA.
