The largest of all the seven tribal agencies, South Waziristan is also the most under-developed area in FATA. The economic schemes promised to its people from time to time by various governments are yet to be implemented. FATA, as we all know, does not fall under the jurisdiction of Parliament and is administered by the President. Kind enough to take the trouble of flying down to Peshawar recently for a meeting with the tribal elders, Mr Zardari announced huge sums for the economic development of the area. His government, he promised, would take urgent steps towards bringing the people of this area at par with the rest of Pakistan. The tribesmen have been hearing such promises since the time they were born and nothing has happened so far. As Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the President is duty-bound to visit the war-ravaged areas including South Wazir-istan where his troops, and citizens, are sacrificing their lives. But he continues to be bunkered inside the Presidential Palace in Islamabad. If they are serious about fighting the militancy, our high officials should come out of the ivory towers of Islamabad. The tribal people are suffering from the US drone attacks as well in which innocent children and women are losing their lives. These drone attacks are a violation of the UN Charter but our government seems to be doing nothing to stop these attacks inside the sovereign territory of Pakistan. I appreciate the recent visit to the area by Chief of Army staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani who met the tribal elders here to brief them about the development schemes being done by the FWO. But the civilian government does not appear to be in a mood to fulfill its responsibilities in tribal areas. It has left everything to the Army, which is doing the job to the best of its abilities, but cannot obviously solve all the problems here on its own. Winston Churchill said, War is too serious a business to be left alone to the generals. The general public has not taken up arms against the Army but has suffered the most as almost everyone has lost a close relative or two or had his house demolished or shop razed to the ground. The losses run into billions of dollars but nobody has been paid any compensation whatsoevernot a penny so far. Imagine the peoples frustration here when they see victims of militancy in other cities of Pakistan getting attention of both media and government while nobody is prepared to cast a glance our way. President and Prime minister routinely issue 'immediate instructions for medical assistance and financial help elsewhere and also announce compensation for losses in other places. No doubt, those who get it deserve it, they deserve our sympathy too. But why are the victims among people of Waziristan not being taken care of? Arent they Pakistanis? -WAQAS KHAN MAHSUD, Karachi, February 25.