Vested interests out to fail proposed Fata reforms: Qureshi

GHALLANAI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said those who had occupied and were exploiting the resources of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) were trying their level best to make the proposed reforms process ineffective.

He was speaking at a public meeting in Safi tehsil of Mohmand Agency here. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is also the Member National Assembly, said that a handful of people were usurping the rights of the people of Fata.

He said the vested interests were trying their best to prevent any real change in the incumbent status and set-up of Fata and didn’t want any effective reforms in the tribal areas. “They wanted to keep continue their monopoly over the resources of the tribal region and to impose reforms of their choice on its people,” he added.

Terming the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) as the root cause of all the evils in Fata, he urged the federal government to abolish the draconian law and hold local government elections there.

He said the tribespeople rendered matchless sacrifices for defence of the country. “The people of Fata witnessed bloodshed, mass displacement and financial losses but the area is deprived of health and education facilities and other civic amenities,” he added.

He said the international community has been spent billions of dollars on development and restoration of peace in Afghanistan but didn’t pay any heed to the problems were being faced by the people of Fata.The PTI would support the proposed reforms in Fata as per the aspiration of the tribespeople, he added.