A grand tribal jirga has been formed to discuss ways to establish peace in North Waziristan Agency and address the problems of the people of the agency. The jirga consists of 45 members representing all the tribal agencies and the Frontier Regions and will begin working from July 20, an official press release said. President General Pervez Musharraf announced the formation of a grand tribal jirga during his address at Governor’s House, Peshawar on April 26, said FATA Governor’s Secretariat Spokesman Shahzaman Khan. “The people of FATA had appealed to the president to form a jirga that was inclusive of all tribes,” the spokesman said. He said that continuous violence in North Waziristan during the past three months and the change in NWFP governorship had delayed the formation of the jirga. NWFP Governor Jan Orakzai’s meetings with the leading maliks, clerics and other stakeholders in FATA and the ceasefire announced by militants in the agency had improved law and order in the area, he said. The situation was now conducive to the process of peace talks, which will hopefully restore peace in Waziristan, the spokesman said.
The jirga will first visit Miranshah and is expected to bring all the stakeholders on board to discuss measures necessary for peace in Waziristan, he said. The spokesman reiterated the government’s resolve to develop Waziristan with special focus on unemployment and illiteracy in the agency. “Poverty alleviation in FATA is a top priority for the NWFP governor,” the spokesman said.