PML-N govt determined to give due rights to FATA people

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra Saturday said the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government was determined to give due rights to the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and would implement reforms with their consent.
Majority of the FATA people wanted their merger with the KP province, he said talking to PTV.
He said former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif paid special attention to the FATA issue and formed a committee which visited every agency to take opinion of the people on the matter.
Iqbal Jhagra said the government was evolving consensus among all the stake holders on FATA reforms.
FATA had been a neglected area and was not provided due facilities in the past but the present government was working to address their grievances, he added.
The governor said the government would give three percent share from National Finance Commission (NFC) to the FATA which would help the area better facilities.
He said rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) was part of the FATA reforms and work on it had already been started.
A bill would be presented in the Parliament soon to expand jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and High Court to FATA, he said.
He said professional training of Levies from Pakistan Army and Police would be arranged as it was also part of the reforms.
To a question about Pakistan’s relations with neighbouring countries, the governor said maintaining good relations with the countries was part of the PML-N manifesto.
Peace in Afghanistan, he said, was in favour of Pakistan and vital for peace in the region. Pakistan had started fencing at its border with Afghanistan as part of border management, he added.
He said the Pakistan Army and other law enforcement agencies had given matchless sacrifices in the war against terror and operation Zarb-e-Azb had achieved maximum success in it.
To another query, he said the PML-N government wanted fair and indiscriminate accountability as nobody was above the law. The party despite having reservations, implemented the decision of the Supreme Court on Panama Papers, he said adding that nothing was proved against Nawaz Sharif and he was disqualified on having an Iqama.

Source: APP