Peshawar- The Fata chapter of Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Jirga has threatened to hold a demonstration at Benazir International Airport, Islamabad during the visit of Chinese president to Pakistan against change in the route of Kashgar-Gwadar economic corridor.
Addressing a meeting of the jirga at Archives Hall, Dr Said Alam Mehsud, the convener of Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Jirga, an amalgamation of different rights organizations, briefed the participants about the current situation regarding change in the trade route and vague policy of the federal government. The uncertain policies had created unrest among the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, he said.
The representatives of different civil society organizations, who had gathered under the banner of Fata Olasi Jirga, vowed that they would take all possible steps for restoration of the original design of the trade route to get benefits for the militancy-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.
Prominent among the speakers were Gul Nawaz Khan Mohmand, Taimur Kamal, Sheikh Jahanzeb, Syed Ahmed Safi, Rahim Shah Afridi, Ajmal Afridi, Eng Tor Gul Chamkani and Burhanuddin. “We want restoration of the route via Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob and Quetta as it can play effective role in eradication of terrorism and bringing prosperity in the country,” said a resolution, adopted by the participants of the jirga on the occasion.
It said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata were also parts of the country and government should not deprive the people of the benefits of the mega plan.
In their speeches, the speakers said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata were affected badly owing to the prolonged terrorism but the federal government did not pay any proper attention to the region to solve basic problems of the people.
Besides, they said, the Kashgar-Gwadar trade route was a ray of hope for the violence-hit people but the PML-N-led federal government was bent upon snatching the right of living from Pakhtuns by changing the route for no reason.
“We have time and again appealed to Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif to keep in mind our interests also and restore the original plan otherwise we will record our protest on arrival of Chinese president at Benazir International Airport on March 22,” they said.
The speakers said that they would hold Chinese national flag in one hand and orignal plan of Kashgar-Gwadar trade route in the other hand to show their love for China and insist on restoration of the route.
Similarly, the jirga also demanded of the federal government to avoid policies regarding changes in status of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and make sure rehabilitation of the people through an independent commission in consultation with the Fata people.
The jirga also urged the federal government to announce schedule for the local government elections in Fata, increase the quota in educational institutions for the students of tribal regions with provision of scholarships and accommodation facilities at the earliest.
Through another resolution, the jirga demanded an end to the century-old Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) to enable the tribal people to get easy justice and all other basic facilities of life without interference of the political administration.