Islamabad (National Times) The senior leadership of the Opposition in the National Assembly voiced solidarity with the tribals elders and vowed to raise their concerns on the floor of the House. A delegation of the tribal elders from the South Waziristan comprising Wazir and Mehsud tribes called on the senior leadership of the Opposition bench including Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and others at Parliament House on Monday.
The tribal elders apprised the Opposition leaders on the objectives of their demonstrations and highlighted the problems arising from lack of compensation for the damages by the Federal Government, ‘One Document Regime’ and the subsequent closure of Angoor Ada border. The participants of the meeting jointly passed a resolution underlining the redress of grievances and joint effort to demonstrate for the constitutional rights of the people of ex-FATA. The Opposition Leader endorsed their demands and vowed to raise their grievances on the floor of the House and advocate for their rights outside the Assembly. The leadership of the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan vowed to support the demonstration of the residents of Waziristan.
They collectively demanded for compensations to address the damages inflicted by military operations in the region and urged the Federal government to honour its commitments made to the people of the tribal areas. They highlighted the destruction of homes, displacement of families, loss of livelihoods, and the overall disruption of socio-economic infrastructure as key areas requiring compensations. They urged the Federal government to approve Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government’s demand for compensation and demanded allocation in this regard in the upcoming budget. It was regretted that despite promises, only tokens are issued to the residents of the region and no compensation has been made since last eight years.
They submitted that the tribes on both sides of the border have familial ties and restricting their movement by closing the border add to their miseries. “The closure of this border is not just a logistical inconvenience; it is a humanitarian issue,” they stated. “Families are being torn apart and economic activities halted”. They maintained that in the current modern age, they are deprived of all kind of facilities. The residents lack access to higher education, healthcare, employment, business opportunities, and mobile networks. As a result, they have been holding a peaceful protest for the last seven months to demand their constitutional and legal rights. They added that due to the “One Document Regime,” students from schools, colleges, universities, and religious institutions have missed their annual exams this year. Relatives have been unable to attend funerals. Emergency patients have been suffering without the ability to cross the border without a passport and visa.
The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan stated non-redressal of the concerns of the tribal citizens would erode people’s trust in the State. He said it’s a question of the future of patriotic Pakistanis and that the Government must take the demands of the people in tribal areas seriously. Former Speaker National Assembly and senior leader of Sunni Ittehad Council Mr. Asad Qaiser stated that imposing barriers for the people will hinder economic progress and increase unemployment. It is both our duty and obligation to solve the problems of the people in tribal areas. He stated that during his tenure as the Speaker of the National Assembly, a special taskforce was constituted to address the grievances of the people. “If the issues are not resolved, we will take to the streets”, he added.
The Central Leader of the ‘Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan’ MNA Mehmood Khan Achakzai, endorsing the jirga’s concerns stressed that the people of the tribal areas have made immense sacrifices for Pakistan. “It is our duty to ensure their voices are heard and their issues are addressed. The Opposition will continue to staunchly advocate for their rights and bring their concerns to the forefront, both in the National Assembly and through public demonstrations”, he added.
Member of the Provincial Assembly from South Waziristan Asif Khan Mehsud stated that the ex-FATA region has been subject to sustained military operations since 2004 and the people of Waziristan have faced continuous displacement since 2006. Highlighting the plight of the people of Waziristan, he stated that the people have paid immense price and that the State should honour the commitments it made to the people of Waziristan.
The tribal elders invited the Opposition’s leadership to their Grand Jirga to be held in Islamabad on 4-6th June, 2024 and urged them to visit the tribal areas. The Opposition leadership accepted both the invitations.