President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday urged the people of the Tribal Areas to enthusiastically participate in the election process and elect representatives who could bring about a positive change in their lives.
Addressing a grand tribal jirga of elders from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) at the President House, 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 were facing.
He said security concerns and fragile law and order situation should not be a hindrance in the way of voting. Zardari said he himself had suffered and given sacrifices in the war against militancy and mentioned the sacrifice of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
The jirga was also attended by Chairman Senate Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah, federal ministers, elders from various agencies of FATA, FATA ACS, Dr Tashfeen Khan and senior officials of FATA Secretariat.
Zardari said a nation that did 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 said the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and said despite some initial resistance in some parts of FATA, the programme had now started receiving attention.
He said a number of features could be added to the programme, which could cater to the health, education and stipends for the tribal people through BISP social safety net.
Zardari said the appointment of a governor from FATA was a right step and would go a long way in bringing the area into the national mainstream and acknowledging it as an important part of the country.
The president termed the valiant and courageous people of FATA “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.
He said the democratic government in the past five years had taken a number of measures for the uplift of tribal people and had opened for the first time opportunity for reforms in FATA that had been denied for over a century.
Zardari said besides giving a new judicial system, the people of Tribal Areas had 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 was a leap forward for the people of FATA towards freedoms, liberties, human rights and political participation.
He said those considering reforms in FATA as small and late, should realise that the door had finally opened and urged all to work together to further open the window of opportunity.
Referring to the development projects, the president assured that along with Gomal Zam project, Bara dam would also be constructed to meet water and energy needs of the area.
The president mentioned the new model for development wherein the people of Tribal Areas would be partners in development projects and industries that would be set up through the concept of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in Tribal Areas.
The president said he was fully conscious of the development needs of the area. The president said the annual budget for FATA had already crossed Rs 16 billion mark and was the highest ever during the last five years.
