ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that reforms in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are significantly important as they form an integral part of the National Action Plan (NAP).
In a meeting with the FATA Reforms Committee headed by Sartaj Aziz at PM House in Islamabad on Tuesday, the prime minster said that reforms in FATA were also aimed at mainstreaming the long neglected areas of the country.
“The future of FATA will be decided according to the aspirations and wishes of the people of those areas. The people of FATA have abundantly contributed to our national cause by rendering matchless sacrifices in the time of war and peace’’, the prime minister said.
The FATA Reforms Committee told the prime minister that it visited all tribal agencies and held meetings with the elected representatives of those areas including businessmen, tribal elders (Maliks), educated youth, religious leaders and members of the civil society to ascertain their point of view before finalizing recommendations for the future of FATA.
The Committee informed that it also held meetings with the notables of all Frontier Regions and other stakeholders.
It was agreed to place the recommendations of the committee before larger NAP meeting on Wednesday (tomorrow).
The meeting was also attended by Minister for Law Zahid Hamid, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, National Security Advisor Lt General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua, Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Rizwan Akhtar, PM’s Principle Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad and Secretary SAFRON Muhammad Shahzad Arbab.
