Islamabad, A delegation of tribal elders and leaders called on the Acting Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi at the Parliament House and apprised him  about social and economic issues being faced by local population among other important challenges. Acting Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi while welcoming the delegation said that tribal traditions and culture are very close to my heart and the main reason for this is that I too belong from a tribal area. This is very encouraging and is a reflection that the tribal people have full confidence in their institutions. The delegation was led by former senator Aurangzeb Khan Orakzai and senior parliamentarian GG Jamal. Acting Chairman Senate said that although FATA has been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, there is still a long way to go to carry forward the reform process and it is necessary to strengthen the administrative structure at the local level. He opined that in this regard, a transparent census of the merged districts is very important as it will help in long-term futuristic planning and advance the development process. Acting Chairman Senate said that thanks to the reform agenda, a new era of development will begin in the erstwhile FATA and will also help in solving the problems identified by the delegation of tribal elders and leaders.However, he emphasized that calculated steps should be taken to ensure sustainable development in the tribal areas. He also assured all possible cooperation to solve the problems of erstwhile FATA. Acting Chairman Senate said that the upper house is a important forum to raise voice for the backward classes and to solve the problems in coordination with the provincial governments. Acting Chairman Senate underlined that the tribal people have  made sacrifices for Pakistan. He said that the entire nation pays homage to the sacrifices of the tribal people. The brave and valiant people of tribal areas have fought against terrorism and anti-national forces for ages. Earlier, a delegation of Tribal elders apprised the Acting Chairman Senate about the problems in their areas.  Senator Aurangzeb Khan said that the people of tribal areas have sacrificed for the sake of the country in every era. He drew the attention of the Acting Chairman of the Senate towards the problems and said that the census is a fundamental issue and the relevant authorities and institutions should clarify the strategy in this regard. The Acting Chairman of the Senate praised the leadership skills of the former senator Aurangzeb Khan Orakzai and senior parliamentarian GG Jamal.