Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the culture and traditions of tribal areas will not be affected by the proposed reforms that are to be introduced in the region following its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
In a meeting with a group of tribal elders at the GovernorHouse in Peshawar, the premier assured that the issues of the people fromtribal regions will be resolved in accordance with their customs.
It is pertinent to mention here that the erstwhile FederallyAdministered Tribal Areas (Fata) region had become a part of KP in May 2018after the then president had signed the 25th Constitutional Amendment Bill intolaw.
The prime minister today said that the alternate disputeresolution system had worked in KP in the past five years and promised that thesame will be implemented in the newly merged tribal areas as well.
He further said that the local bodies system implemented inKP was closer to the system followed by the tribal regions, where every areagoverns its own matters. In the newly amended Local Government Act, 2013,villages will receive funds directly and people will be empowered at grassrootslevel, the prime minister said.
He further said that the people of tribal areas will getmore representation in the national and provincial assembles, thanks to the26th Constitution Amendment Bill, which has been approved by the lower houseand now awaits the same in Senate. The premier acknowledged that the residentsof tribal areas had faced numerous challenges in the past years due tomilitancy and highlighted their “sacrifices for the country during the waragainst terrorism”.
KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Governor Shah Farman were also present during the meeting. The prime minister held separate meetings with other KP lawmakers as well. The premier also attended a fundraising event for the ShaukatKhanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar.