The 109th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) aimed to underpin the need for equal opportunities for the people of tribal region and harnessing their potential for peacebuilding and national development. Tribal areas had been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province about two years ago and since then, the reforms process is going on in the region to pave the way for a sustainable peace and development.
The first guest on show, Baseerat Bibi, Member, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (and belongs to Khyber tribal district), noted that after merger with the KP province, the people of tribal areas are now equally entitled to the rights as constitutionally available to the citizens from other parts of the country. All these constitutional protections are crucial for socio-economic and political inclusion, participation and mobility. The female parliamentarians from tribal areas are an inspiration for all the tribal women and their presence in the parliament augurs well for gender mainstreaming in the region.
While the process of reforms is being rolled out, it will take time for us to comprehend and utilize the newly introduced systems and services on offer, respectively. The youth should be on-boarded this process, and hone their potential and channelize for the regional peace and development.
The second guest on show, Mr. Usman Akbar, Ulasi Taroon alumnus and a student of IM Sciences, Peshawar, noted that the tribal people are underprivileged, and equality demands interventions to improve human development indexes like health, economy, education and other variables key to development. We should treat tribal people and the entire region with equity until developed at par with rest of the country.
The third guest on show, Mr. Wali Khan Afridi, a lawyer by profession, noted that judicial reforms post-merger are crucially essential to prevent human rights violations. In addition, the people should also be acquainted with the legal services on offer for their protection and dignity.
About Ulasi Taroon
Ulasi Taroon is a counter radicalization initiative of Center for Research and Security Studies that aims to address the radicalization challenges, extremist ideologies and foster social cohesion through a discourse anchored in the core constitutional values which are fundamentally essential prerequisites for social peace and harmony. The endeavor aims to cultivate and sensitize the people of KP in the core values in the Pakistani constitution and our social contract. It’s an attempt to highlight the criticality of abiding by these ideals – such as adherence to rule of law, primacy and sanctity of constitution, equal citizenry, responsible citizenship, respect for fundamental human rights, tolerance for diversity and different opinions, inclusive democracy and good governance – as a measure of strengthening social cohesion and promoting peaceful co-existence.