Aurakzai calls for reactivation of Pak-Afghan Jirga

PESHAWAR: Former Governor NWFP Lt. General (Retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai on Saturday called for reactivation of Pak-Afghan Jirga and review of policy on Pakistan's role in the on going war on terror.
Aurakzai was addressing during the two-day workshop on "Mainstreaming FATA" held under the auspices of the Benazir Democracy Institute (BDI), a subsidiary wing of the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation, the former governor called for refrain from taking dictations from others and drawing of line in this connection.
Federal Minister for SAFRAN, Najmuddin Khan was chief guest while Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) FATA, Habibullah Khan, Barrister Masood Kausar and Dr. Mohammad Kamal of SBF also addressed the participants of the workshop.
Benazir Democracy Institute of the Bhutto Shaheed Foundation has initiated a series of seminars on status, development and democratisation of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which are being run by a set of draconian laws authored by the British rulers some 100 years ago.
The current two-day workshop is second seminar of the series. In the first seminar held last week was attended by the tribal representatives from Northern FATA comprising Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber agencies. The second workshop is for central FATA that comprise, Orakzai and Kurram Agencies and Frontier Regions of Peshawar and Kohat.
The third workshop would be held in second week of October this year followed by grand tribal seminar in Peshawar and tribal convention in Islamabad. The recommendations and suggestions prepared by the workshops would be presented to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for consideration its inclusion in the proposed reforms in the administrative system of the tribal region.
Ali Mohammad Jan said that the next phase of the inactive Pak-Afghan Jirga was holding negotiations with disgruntled elements included Taliban and Hizb-e-Islami of Gulbadin Hikmatyar. He urged for holding debate on the role of Pakistan in the war on terror and also consultation with tribesmen over the matter of security in FATA. "Like West we should take the nation into confidence before framing of any new policy," suggested Aurakzai.
The former governor said that solution to the deprivation of the tribesmen lays in development of the area, saying they require the facilities of education, health and clean drinking water and asked the government to seek support from allied forces in this regard.
"We are required to pressurise United States and her allies in war on terror for initiating development schemes that are in the interest of the tribesmen and had already been identified," added the former governor.
The former governor called for generation of employment opportunity and utilisation of the natural resources of tribal belt to benefit tribesmen of the investment. "There is also a need of change in the constitution status of the FATA at had always used like launching pad against the superpowers. Enough is enough, now we there is a need of coming out of this situation," said Aurakzai.
He urged the participants of the workshop to thoroughly discussed pros and cons of FCR, system of access to justice and extension of the jurisdiction of superior judiciary and Political Parties Act to tribal area. In tribal culture, he said Jirga is the strongest tradition and we should resolve our problems through negotiations.
He said, if someone refused to respect the peaceful mean of negotiation, then there is no harm in use of force against such elements. However, he said the government first identified such elements through reliable and active intelligence. "The operation should be for short period as the former British government had never indulged in long operation," he concluded.
Federal Minister for SAFRAN, Najmuddin Khan said that the PPP government is working on access to justice and bringing reforms in FATA. He said that the coming three months is very important as government is going take decision on their future status. He said that situation is changing fast as democracy is getting roots and dictatorship had lost ground. He said that government has decided to spend Rs. One trillion on the development of FATA and also reviving the Pak-Afghan Jirga. In this connection, he said that the government of Pakistan would soon talk to the tribesmen on both sides of the Durand line.
The participants of the workshop were late divided into three groups of defining, developing and democratizing FATA. The recommendations of the groups would be announced today (Sunday).-APP