PESHAWAR –Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor-designate Zafar Iqbal Jhagra on Monday vowed to restore the lost glory of tribal regions by making it citadel of peace and harmony as was prevailed in 1970s by taking all the stakeholders into confidence before embarking on peace overtures.
“I will make every endeavor to achieve the desired goal of restoring law and order in the tribal areas to the level of 1970s when people from Lahore, Rawalpindi and other parts of Punjab used to travel to Landi Kotal, border town in Khyber Agency near Torkhum, for shopping without any fear of insecurity,” he said in a brief interview with the state-run news service.
Jhagra who is all set to assume his new responsibilities as governor on Thursday (March 3) said that he would take the tribal elders and FATA parliamentarians into confidence before determining status of the tribal regions whether it want to merge with Pakhtunkhwa, made an independent province or maintained the same independent position. “We will honour their proposals and suggestions in this regard and would not enforce anything on them against their wishes,” he explained.
He maintained that terrorism badly affected the socio economic lives of the tribal people resultantly thousands of tribal people displaced and added that it would be his top priority to ensure safe and dignified return of the tribal people to their native areas in FATA. “We will do everything possible to address problems of TDPS after their repatriation,” he said.
He said he was aware of the problems of the tribal areas which he said were being discussed from time to time in the Parliament adding in the light of recommendations and proposals of the elected parliament, the difficulties and problems of the tribal people would be addressed accordingly with mutual consent.
He said, “It’s a challenging job but i am hopeful to do quite well in resolving problems of the tribal areas with the consultations and assistance of the stakeholders. The job of Pakhtunkhwa governor is different than that of governor’s of other provinces due to close proximity with tribal belt, he said.
To a question, he said the he would also ensure judicious utilisation of the development funds in the tribal agencies and would leave no stone unturned in the uplift of the hitherto neglected tribal areas. The people of Fata would be brought in the mainstream of national development by involving the tribal communities in the process of development.
