ISLAMABAD, 10 May 2006 — A high-level meeting chaired by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf yesterday vowed to curb terrorism and extremism in the country’s tribal regions by “fast tracking” economic development of the areas. Musharraf promised socio-economic development in the areas by introducing political and administrative reforms, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) quoted him as saying.
“This will open up economic opportunities and curb extremism in these regions,” he told the meeting in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. There are seven semi-autonomous tribal regions, each called an agency in the country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Two of the seven agencies — North and South Waziristan — have witnessed a series of military operations since late 2003, which were aimed at tracking down Taleban and pro-Al-Qaeda militants, hiding there.
The suspected militants escaped US-led military operations in neighboring Afghanistan after the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001 and took refuge in the regions.
“The majority of people in the tribal areas are moderates and pro-development - but have been held hostage by a handful of extremists,” Musharraf said.
There was a need to encourage “progressive people” in the areas by providing them with employment, better education and health facilities, he added. The decision to promote development came against the backdrop of fears by Pakistani officials of Talebanization in the tribal regions.
In April, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said the influence of the Taleban style of governance was increasing in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) including North and South Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces in the west. Sherpao told Cabinet ministers that the pro-Taleban elements were “openly challenging” the writ of the government by engaging a number of civil and military officials in the region, local media quoted him as saying.
