PESHAWAR: The Advisory Committee on Tribal Districts, in its maiden meeting held here on Monday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mahmood Khan in chair, constituted an autonomous jirga consisting of MNAs and senators for erstwhile FATA for holding talks with Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).
“The Advisory Committee, consisting MNAs and senators from tribal districts as its members, decided to hold talks with PTM for redressal of their grievance and for the cause of development of tribesmen,” said Ajmal Wazir, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Tribal Districts.
Addressing a press conference here at Chief Minister Secretariat, Ajmal Wazir said the meeting of the advisory committee was attended by elected representatives of all the political parties.
Even PTM’s MNAs including Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar also attended the meeting, Ajmal told newsmen.
He said the advisory committee has been constituted for taking all the elected representatives from tribal districts into confidence in carrying out development work in the area after its merger with KP.
The committee members are on one page that they wanted development of tribal districts and for this purpose all the schemes would be finalised with their consultation and consensus.
The decision taken by jirga after holding talks with PTM leadership would be accepted and supported by the government, Ajmal Wazir held out assurance.
The government wanted to resolve issues and remove deprivation of tribal districts and would hold talks with everyone for this purpose, he added.
The committee would be taken on board in all the developmental schemes for merged districts and efforts would be made for removing grievances of people, Ajmal added.
He said the CM has given full authority to the jirga members for holding talks with PTM leadership.
Speaking on the occasion, MNA Maulana Abdul Shakoor of JUI-F said the participants of the meeting including all MNAs and senators were on one page that is the development of merged districts.
We will identity problems being faced by people of tribal districts and suggest measures for its solution, he added.
He said the committee wanted to bring PTM leadership to the same page of development of tribal districts and for this purpose consultation would be made with them through jirga.
MNA Sajid Tori of PPP also spoke on the occasion and said its time for development of seven districts of tribal region. He said PPP leadership supported merger of FATA into KP and also wanted to see development in the region.
He said the parliamentarians from tribal region would hold discussion with PTM leadership on the platform of advisory committee and try to find out solution to complaints and grievances.
