The dwellers of the Tribal Areas are time-tested patriots. They proved their loyalty and dedication to Pakistan at the time when India tried to deprive Pakistan of the vital territory of Kashmir. They fought in that war courageously and were martyred in untold numbers. Some of the warriors who took part in that campaign are still missing. The tribal people also demonstrated their allegiance with Pakistan during the Afghan-Soviet war. Thousands of brave tribal people embraced martyrdom but did not let the Red Army proliferate our territory. These brave knights of Pakistan, though, are today being treated as second class citizens of this country. They are being deprived of their basic human rights and left at the mercy, or cruelty, of an old colonial legacy called the FCR. Moreover, they are frequently bombarded by drones of the Americans or bomber planes of Islamabad. This bombardment has inflicted heavy losses of men and material in the area. The ongoing military operation has to be halted, as it is not the solution of the problem. Hundreds of innocent people have died in these operations and hundreds made homeless. A sincere bid to resolve the problem through development and political reforms is needed here. -HAMID ULLAH WAZIR, Shakai, South Waziristan, September 17.