Defeating militancy: Fata and NWFP MPs ask US to give financial, technical help

Terming the US drone attacks inside Pakistani territory as counter-productive, Parliamentarians from tribal areas and NWFP have asked Washington to provide financial and technical support to the federal and provincial governments to defeat the mounting militancy.
US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher held a two-hour long meeting with a select group of parliamentarians from Fata and NWFP, here on Monday. Those who attended the meeting included Senators Haji Mohammad Adeel, Ilyas Bilour, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Shaukat Ullah, MNAs Noor Alam, Humayun Saifullah and Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.
Boucher was assisted by US ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W Patterson and some officials from the US embassy. However, no parliamentarian from the religious parties was present in the meeting. Seeking their help to do more in a bid to wipe out terrorism and extremism, Boucher also discussed the socio-economic development in Fata, the protection of Nato supply line through Khyber Agency and the ongoing operations in Fata and Swat.
A parliamentarian told Business Recorder that they had informed the US diplomat that Pakistan was facing financial problems in tackling the situation. Without sufficient financial and technical assistance of the US, the war on terror will not bring the desired results, he added. The lawmakers said that NWFP is the major victim of this war and its infrastructure was ruined. The police and paramilitary forces are fighting militants without having equipment, essentially required to fight off militancy.
They stressed the need to help the NWFP government in equipping the law enforcement agencies with modern and sophisticated weapons to deal with militants. The parliamentarians also highlighted the human sufferings as a result of law and order situation in NWFP. A large number of people have been displaced from tribal areas and Swat due to military operations.
These people are in dire need of food, shelter, medicine and other essentials. They expressed reservations over the frequent drone attacks by Nato forces and asked Boucher to end it. Boucher assured the parliamentarians that US would provide all possible assistance to Pakistan. He hailed Pakistan's role in war on terror and sought further co-operation of parliamentarians of Fata and NWFP to effectively tackle the militancy.