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Thursday March 28, 2024

Merger of Fata with KP

December 19, 2018

Govt faces embarrassment in Senate over Fata resolution

By Mumtaz Alvi

ISLAMABAD: The government had to face embarrassment in the Senate Tuesday, as initially one of its ministers opposed a resolution on fulfillment of commitments made at the time of merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while two others rose to fully support it.

The agenda items listed for the private members day on Monday, were deferred by the chair to be taken up Tuesday, as the House mourned the passing away of PkMAP Senator Muhammad Azam Musakhail.

So much so, senators, who hail from the former tribal areas, cautioned that there would be agitation, if the government backed out of a commitment made by the government as well as Opposition parties that the merger would be followed by release of around Rs100 billion funds from NFC and creation of 20 thousand jobs for Fata people.

As Fata Senator Aurangzeb Khan moved the resolution in the House, State Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar opposed it, saying that they checked with the NFC secretariat, there was nothing in writing on release of 3% percent for Fata area and creation of 20 thousand jobs for tribal people.

However, he said that the government would take up this matter as soon as the NFC award nominations are received from Sindh, which had been issued reminders as well while Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had already sent their nominations to the Centre. The minister said that the government would make arrangements for Fata. But he urged the Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla to defer the resolution. “There will be civil war, if the commitments to us, are not fulfilled, as we care for verbal commitments and don’t believe in writings. Tribal people agreed to the merger only after these commitments that our areas, which have no basic infrastructure, residences and even proper educational institutions. This resolution will serve a reminder to the government to do the needful,” Senator Aurangzeb insisted.

The resolution reads: “This House calls upon the government to take immediate steps for the implementation of the commitments, made at the time of merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regarding the release of 3% funds from NFC award and creation of 20 thousand jobs for the youth of those areas”.

After Hammad, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan assured the House that PTI government and its allies were committed to fulfilling the merger-related commitments. He added the related ministry’s summary on the matter already been approved by the Council of Common Interests. He explained all departments, barring the law and order, finance and planning were now under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

Another Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, who belongs to the erstwhile tribal areas, cautioned that opposition to the resolution by the government would send strange signals to tribal people and a very improper message would to them. He pointed out that the matter was with the federal cabinet in the last meeting and Prime Minister Imran Khan had tasked Finance Minister Asad Umar to come up with a plan in this connection.

Leader of Opposition Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq threw his support to the resolution, contending that the resolution would add to the weight to the promised initiatives for former Fata areas and said that the Senate resolutions always carried substantial weight. “There is a great confusion in the treasury benches today. One minister is opposing while others are supporting the resolution. You better evolve consensus outside the House and for the time being, I defer the resolution,” the chair observed, sensing the divisions in the government benches on the matter.

However, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari made her presence felt when she rose to clarify that there was no confusion at all and that since she was part of the negotiations, which led to the merger, commitments were made to Fata people and were to be part of NFC.