Chairman IPO Pakistan, Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi, said that military operations in tribal areas should be suspended and a dialogue should commence for the peaceful settlement of disputes during the sacred month of Ramzan. He stated this while talking to the representatives of International Relief Development on the Conflict Victims Support Program on Wednesday.
Senators from FATA, Haji Khan, Hilal-ur-Rehman and Rasheed Ahmed also exchanged views with delegation members and apprised them about the current situation and resources of tribal areas. The delegation included Mr. Thomas Buck, Mr. Alberto Abadia and Team Leader Private Public Partnership Mr. Bilal Sherpao, who shared their experiences regarding business development projects. Afridi said that the people of FATA were leading miserable lives, especially those compelled to live in IDP camps, undergo great hardship to get basic necessities of life. He said that FATA had abundant mineral resources and local crops but due to the war on terror and military operations, people cannot benefit from these resources.
Members of the delegation showed interest in skill training programs, and developing linkages between growers and corporate companies for the financial benefit of locals. They also spoke of similar projects underway in Afghanistan and said that the people in conflict zones can increase their income and resources by developing skills in their respective sectors.
