Christians celebrate 100 years of settlement

Demand the political administration to provide them with domiciles of FATA.

LANDI KOTAL: It has been a hundred years since the Christians came and settled in Khyber Agency’s Landikotal tehsil.

To celebrate, men, women and children from the community gathered together in the main bazaar on Friday. Arshid Masih, the chairman of the All Christian Communuity, said that although the community had been around in the area for a century, the government and political administration did not give them any attention or basic rights and facilities.

While speaking at the community hall, the chairman urged the federal government to amend the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and make sure the Christian community got rights they deserved as inhabitants of the agency.

“We have spent a long time in this region,” he said. “However, due to the FCR, Christians do not have the right to become tribesmen of the agency.”

Arshid Masih demanded the political administration to provide Christians with domiciles of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and set up colonies for them across the tribal belt. He also asked the authorities to establish a ministry for minorities in the region as it was their right to have one.

Members of the community criticised the government for failing to give them a computer centre, community hall or graveyards. “We are loyal tribesmen who have guarded the borders of this country,” they said. “We deserve our basic rights.” They warned to take to the streets if their demands were not met.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2014.