Elders from Utmanzai and Ahmadzai tribes of North Waziristan Agency demanded of the immediate cessation of US drone attacks and to sort-out a peaceful solution of the current turbulent situation in FATA, by holding talks with Taliban. Speaking at a news conference here at Press Club on Saturday, an Elder from the Agency, Malik Jalal said tribal people are being faced with difficulties owing to the former rulers Pro-American policies.
"US predator's strikes are against sovereignty and integrity of the country in which a large number of innocent tribal people including women and children are being killed", he maintained. Accompanied by Malik Gulbat Khan, Malik Gul Shalam Khan, and Malik Raees Khan along with Elders from the mentioned tribes, Jalal said the security forces had carried out operations on the behest of US-mentors in the tribal region. "Tribesmen are internally uprooted from their hometown in wake the present security force action," he observed.
"We are not terrorists, but patriotic citizens of this state," said Malik Gulbat Khan, an Elder from the Agency. He said the US secret drone campaign is against territorial integrity, which must be halted immediately. He said tribesmen played vital role, and rendered their lives for protection of borders, despite that they are being treated discriminately and forcibly imposed policies on them. He claimed that thousands of innocent people have been killed in so-called war against terrorism.
Mohammad Shah, a provincial legislator from FATA said the declaration of JUI-F convened All Parties Conference was also signed by PML-Chief Nawaz Sharif; therefore, he said, the party-led Federal Government would fully materialise the decisions of the APC, to restore sustainable and prevention of US drones strikes in tribal areas.
"If the drone attacks were halted, then 90 percent peace would automatically be restored in the country generally and particularly in KP and FATA", Shah said. He added the present chaos is a retaliation of the US-secrete unmanned planes' attacks in tribal region.
About the suspension of negotiation process by Taliban, he said, tribal Elders would form a grand tribal Jirga to reactivate the talks for establishment of peace. The provincial legislator also assured that he will move a resolution at the Assembly floor against the US drone attacks.
"Force is not a solution of the tribal issue, but need to adopt peaceful means for establishment everlasting peace and stability in the entire region," said Malik Shalam Khan, an Elder of Ahmadzai tribe. He said if the US government had given preference to holding talks with Taliban, what could have been wrong to follow same practice for peace in Pakistan? The Elders urged the PML-led Federal Government to tale effective steps for establishment of peace and stoppage of US drones attacks in tribal region. They warned that the peace efforts would not be fruitful until the ending of the US secret predators campaign in FATA.