The people of the restive Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province should unite to protect their region against all challenges and prevent outsiders from entering their ranks to foment trouble, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday.
Zardari made the remarks while addressing a tribal 'jirga' (council) at the Governor's House in Peshawar.
Zardari is currently on his first visit out of Islamabad after signing into law a major constitutional reforms package that stripped the President of his sweeping powers.
"Every citizen has to play his role as complacency has no place in such challenging times.
People need to check that their neighbours are not illegal foreigners or involved in unlawful activities so that they cannot create problems for the locals," he said.
"We will not let anyone take even an inch of our land and will protect it at the cost of our lives.
As we know how many sacrifices were rendered to get our liberation from the British," he added.
He regretted the fact that people who were granted refuge in Pakistan's tribal regions had turned out to be "bitter enemies".
{{/usCountry}}He regretted the fact that people who were granted refuge in Pakistan's tribal regions had turned out to be "bitter enemies".
{{/usCountry}}These people "killed their hosts and their families and led to the destruction of their property", he said.
Zardari said it was his vision that Pakistan should emerge as a major world trade hub and the government is committed to achieve this goal with the help of the people.
The government is facing several challenges but these would be overcome, he added.