KHYBER AGENCY: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra Saturday said that most of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had been cleared of terrorists while writ of the government was restored with the mutual collaboration of tribesmen and security forces.
This he said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a water supply scheme worth Rs 220 million in Landikotal tehsil of the Khyber agency. Senator Momin Khan Afridi, former lawmaker Mohammad Shah Afridi and a large number of tribal elders attended the event.
Jhagra said tribesmen of Khyber agency rendered matchless sacrifices to purge the militants out of the tribal agency. “The government was forced to launch military operations against the militants after several rounds of peace talks failed,” he said.
The governor lauded the political administration of the agency for initiating mega water supply scheme in Landikotal. “At least 80 percent of the population in Landikotal will benefit from the scheme and it will also help increase plantation in the area,” he said.
Referring to repatriation of Afghan refugees, Jhagra said that all the Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan would soon be sent back to Afghanistan.
“We are in contact with the Afghan government to voluntarily send Afghan refugees to Afghanistan in the coming months.”
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was arranging a handsome package for those who voluntarily wished to return to Afghanistan.
The governor extended his good wishes to the President Ashraf Ghani-led Afghan government, and said that Afghans were their brothers and sisters as Pakistan always supported them in difficult times. The governor offered special prayers for the departed soul of martyred Pakistan Army officer Major Jawad Khan Changezi who lost his life while defending Pakistan’s western border at Torkham. The governor announced Rs 0.5 million for the widow of the martyred officer.
Regarding the internally displaced persons (IDPs), the governor said that repatriation of FATA’s displaced families had already been started and would be completed till the year-end.
About merger of FATA into KP, he said that fate of FATA would be decided in line with the wishes and consent of all tribal people. Later, the governor distributed compensation cheques among 72 victims of militancy and Torkham incident in Khyber agency. Each injured received Rs 0.1 million while Rs 0.3 million was given to the heirs of every deceased.
Khyber agency political agent Khalid Mehmood, Bara assistant political agent Muhammad Arif and Rahimullah Mehsud were also present on the occasion.