PAIMAN Trust
OUR CORRESPONDENT
PESHAWAR
PAIMAN Trust held a Seminar on “FATA Merger: Youth Leadership and Aspiration”, yestrerday Shafqat Mehmood, Chairperson of PAIMAN in his welcome address highlighted the seminar was the first in the series whose aim was not only to celebrate FATA Merger but also to provide a platform to the youth from that region to speak about their prevalent situation, their contribution to building stable communities and their vision and mission for the future of their area. Their recommendations are grounded in reality and its high time to listen to them, to recognize them as key stakeholders in the process of merger and integration.
Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi, Member Federal Ombudsman and Ex Chief Secretary Khyber Pukhtunkhwa stressed on speeding up the merger process and involving all stakeholder onboard to make it effective and inclusive.
Mossarat Qadeem, Executive Director PAIMAN spoke about PAIMAN’s innovative initiatives in FATA and in empowering communities to address issues of violent extremism and building social cohesion in the area. She also mentioned the role PAIMAN’s Mothers and Youth TOLANA played in propagating the value of pluralism and tolerance in their communities.
Youth from FATA in their speeches warmly welcomed the merger and highlighted the need for including youth in the process. A youth political Leader Humayoun, from South Waziristan said, “we want merger and would not let anyone to create hurdles in this process”. Ishaq, Mohmand Agency and Ejaz, Orakzai Agency spoke about the hardship and difficulties in accessing education institutions, lack of opportunities and FCR that haunted them for decades. Adnan Shinwari asked government to hold local government elections immediately to give locals a say in decision making of their area.
Sameena Afridi and Hina Shinwari stressed on providing educational opportunities for women and asked government to take affirmative actions in mainstreaming women in socio-political and economic policies and programs. Mr. Hasseb Salarzai, came up with doable recommendations and said, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa government should ensure that the funds allocated for development of tribal districts are not spent anywhere else; Land Reforms should also be prioritized under Governance Reforms with a proper digitalized record focus on property rights etc; An inclusive an dedicated unit for implementation be in place to monitor the merger of FATA with KP so that hurdles and problems in implementation process can also be resolved immediately; Rule of law institutions be immediately in place to address legal vacuum.
The event was attended by FATA Senators, ambassadors, representatives of donor agencies, members of civil society and PAIMAN’s Youth and Mother TOLANA members from FATA .
PAIMAN Trust: PAIMAN is an non-profit national organization working across Pakistan on governance and democracy, women political and economic empowerment, prevention of violent extremism, interfaith, intra-faith harmony and social cohesion. PAIMAN’s model of Inclusive peace education and its TOLANA as internal community mechanism to build tolerant and peaceful communities have received international recognition and applaud. For more information see www.paimantrust.org
