Elders want Fata status restored

BARA: The Fata Qaumi Jirga on Tuesday asked the government to restore the status of the former Federally Administration Tribal Areas (Fata).

The demand came at a meeting of the Fata Qaumi Jirga here.

Malik Bismillah Khan Kukikhel, Malik Waris Afridi, Malik Khan Marjan Wazir, Malik Azam Khan Mahsud, Malik Nawabzada Fazal Karim Kukikhel, Malik Thamash Khan Shalmani, Malik Sardar Asghar Bar Kambarkhel Malik, Fazlur Rahman, Malik Najibullah, Malik Zarab Gul, Malik Daud Shah, Malik Niqab Shah, Samad Khan, Muhammad Hanif, Nasrullah Khan, Malik Nazar, Muhammad Kukikhel and others.

They said the Supreme Court should constitute a larger bench to reverse the merger of the ex-Fata. The speakers said the problems of tribal districts had increased after the merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They felt that the merger was imposed on the people of tribal areas as they were not taken into confidence before making the decision.

The speakers alleged that the merger was carried out under a foreign agenda and the ground realities were ignored while making a unilateral decision about the merger. They said that the tribal people were not taken into confidence and hence the merger must be revoked.

The elders said even the proponents of the merger were now fed up with the new setup and were looking for excuses to hide their embarrassment.