Politicians, intellectuals and members of the civil society on Monday expressed concern over the non-implementation of political, economic and administrative reforms in the merged districts in the last 18 months. They were speaking at the Multi-Party Conference titled "Fata Mainstreaming: Unfinished Business" organized by the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) at the Watan Kor here.
A declaration was issued after the conference that criticised the government for failing to release the funds amounting to billions of rupees to undertake uplift schemes and ensure the implementation of the reforms in social, political and judicial sectors in the merged districts.
The leaders of Pakistan People's Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Awami National Party, National Party, Mazdoor Kisan Party, Pakhtunkhwa Ulasi Tehreek, Awami Workers Party, members of the civil society attended the moot in large numbers. QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao presided over the conference.
It declared the residents of the merged districts had rights over the mines and mineral resources in their respective areas. The declaration maintained that enforcement of the action in aid of civil power and other such laws in the merged districts was violation of the constitution and demanded that the missing persons should be produced in courts.
The transparent use of the uplift funds through the elected public representatives should be ensured besides merging the services of the Khassadars and Levies personnel into the regular police in a bid to strengthen the civil administration to better maintain the law and order, the declaration added.
It said the interference of the governor in the affairs of the merged districts should be curtailed and termed unconstitutional as the chief minister had the authority to exercise his powers after the merger process. The moot called for the establishment of banks and other financial institutions to facilitate the local population and facilitate the process of obtaining the loans.
Efforts were also urged to promote the use of solar energy and improve the irrigation system to boost the agriculture sector in the merged districts. The speakers also called for ensuring the provision of the 30 percent funds from the provincial ADP to execute uplift work in merged districts.
Speaking at the concluding session of the conference, Sikandar Sherpao said that his party had reservations over the passage of the mineral act recent passed from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. He said that the act was passed in haste in a bid to deprive the people of the merged districts of their right of ownership over their resources.
The QWP leader said that his party wanted equal rights for the people of the merged district. He added that prosperity was meaningless without giving rights to the people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019