PESHAWAR, March 18: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to establish adequate number of polling stations in tribal areas to facilitate people in casting their votes in the next general elections.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, PML-N secretary organiser in South Waziristan Agency Ghazi Khan Mehsud said that tribal people had been deprived of their right to vote during general elections in the country in the past.

“However, now tribal people will have the opportunity to use this right in the upcoming general elections,” he said. He added that tribal people had been demanding the right since long but successive governments didn’t accept their demand.

Mr Mehsud urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure provision of adequate facilities to people in different tribal agencies, particularly in South and North Waziristan agencies, during the upcoming general elections. The PML-N leader also demanded of ECP to make arrangements for internally displaced persons from different tribal agencies at their camps so that they could cast their votes in the elections.

Mr Mehsud said that tribal people could not elect their representatives in the past owing to enforcement of black laws in Fata. The tribal people would be able to elect their representatives if ECP accepted the demand, he added.

Flanked by tribal elders and social activists of South Waziristan Agency, the PML-N leader said that the PPP-led government failed to bring any change in Fata through introducing reforms.

The amendments in Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) couldn’t bring any substantial change in the social fabric of the tribal society, Mr Mehsud said, adding that political agents were still powerful in Fata.

The PML-N leader said that tribal people couldn’t make any progress owing to enforcement of FCR. If authorities really wanted to bring a change in the fate of tribal people they should bring more changes in the FCR, he added. Mr Mehsud said that if voted into power in the next elections, his party would introduce real reforms in Fata. He said that they would take effective measures for restoration of peace in tribal areas.

He claimed that PML-N was the only political force that could steer the country out of the existing crises and resolve problems of tribal people.

The PML-N leader urged tribal people to reject corrupt politicians in the next general elections and elect honest people to get their issues resolved.