For the first time, the tribal people of North Waziristan Agency have been given royalty for the natural resources in their region. Now, extraction of minerals is under way in the agency, near the Pak-Afghan border. Delighted over getting the royalty, locals believe that if the extracted minerals are properly utilised, it can put the region on the path of progress. "North Waziristan is rich with mineral resources," Major General Hassan Azhar Hayat said in an interview with a TV channel.
"Before Operation Zarb-e-Azb mineral mining was under way in the agency but some of it would be smuggled out and the remaining was not going to the locals, but to a select few individuals."
He added that around 18 percent of the share of minerals will be given to locals, while 17 percent will be used for the production of electricity and infrastructural work in the region.
The extraction is under way by workers of Frontier Works Organisation. The locals say North Waziristan has abundance of oil, gas, chromite, copper and other valuable resources for which deep digging is not required.
Once the work starts, business activities would be revived in North Waziristan. Moreover, the hiring of foreign engineers would make it mandatory for the government to build proper roads and markets.