PESHAWAR, April 18: NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti has appealed to the international community to help the provincial government resolve the issue of insecurity in the region through dialogue and negotiations adding the Pakhtun nation has suffered a lot since a hostile policy was adopted against militancy.

“The time is ripe to resolve all the issues through consensus and dialogue for restoration of a durable peace in the entire region,” Hoti told a delegation led by French Ambassador Regis de Belenet and president Canadian Parliamentary Centre Robert Miller, who called on him at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Friday, said a handout.

The delegation included George Anderson, president and CEO of Forum of Federations -- an international network on federalism, Grant Kippen, Nicholas Coghlan and John J. Moore.

“To give a practical shape to the proposed grand jirga, our government has started working on the recommendations floated by the cabinet committee,” Hoti told the foreign delegates.

Stressing a drastic increase in security personnel he said, “We are focusing on providing latest arms, best training besides making available the required and modern equipments for security and communication to the security personnel.”

“We will try to separate the aliens from the locals because they become strong with their sympathies and we believe our own people will not betray us,” Hoti said.

He said that the Loya Jirga would hold indirect talks with the local people and would not engage in talks with the aliens.

“No local in North Waziristan is giving shelter to the foreigners and they (aliens) had lost the locals’ support in the region,” Hoti added.

The chief minister said that his government was committed to protect the foreign NGOs and other welfare organisations working in the province. Referring to provincial rights, the chief minister said in accordance with the 1973 Constitution, provincial autonomy was the right of every province.

Hoti suggested that bringing administrative and political reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas were required which could help addressing the problems of the tribal people.