Imran foresees trouble in Fata if region not merged with KP

     Urges Centre to implement reforms forthwith

PESHAWAR: Expressing concern at the rising terrorist attacks in the country, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan fears that the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) could again become a hub of the terrorists if these underdeveloped and militancy-stricken areas were not merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forthwith.

"Any delay in Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would promote terrorism in the tribal areas. This opportunity should not be wasted," he stressed. He was talking to the media during his visit to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar on Wednesday.

Imran Khan was supposed to address a function at the hospital after inaugurating some projects. However, the function was cancelled after a suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle into a van carrying judges in Hayatabad. All the victims were rushed to HMC as it was close to site of the blast.

The response and protocol of the doctors and staff of the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) towards the trauma was immediate and proper.

The doctors were about to leave for their clinics, but almost all of them, including professors of different departments, reached the hospital after learning about the explosion in Hayatabad. DIG Peshawar Tahir Khan said the suicide bomber hit the van’s front side and the judges remained safe.

Imran Khan expressed concern at the rising terrorist incidents in the country and condemned the suicide attack on judges in Peshawar and another one in the Mohmand tribal region. PTI Secretary General Jehangir Khan Tareen, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Education Minister Mohammad Atif Khan and Health Minister Shahram Khan accompanied Imran Khan.

"Fata’s merger into KP is the only viable solution to defeating terrorism in Pakistan. This is the best time for merger and initiating political reforms there," he said. He said the entire nation was in favour of reforms in Fata. He didn't agree to the proposal to make Fata a separate province, saying it was not natural.

Imran Khan said the federal government had already wasted a year, saying it should have made a plan for Fata's merger and introduced political reforms soon after conclusion of military Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan.

"If we want Pakistan to become stronger and peaceful, we should play our role for Fata's merger with KP. We need to fill this vacuum. And this process should be done without further delay," he stressed.

About the vacuum, he said currently there was neither the previous system nor the new one in Fata, saying the tribesmen desperately needed relief.

The PTI leader said the tribal areas and the people living there had suffered immense losses and the government should compensate them. He said the entire infrastructure in Fata had been damaged during militancy, adding it was the responsibility of the government to make a plan for revival of economic activities there.

Asked about KP's capacity to handle Fata's burden, Imran Khan said there was no other option but merger, adding the federal government would need to support Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in its financial and administrative requirements.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also backed Fata's merger with KP. He said Fata was faced multiple challenges but KP was capable of handling its issues.

The chief minister said Fata had been getting Rs50 billion annually from the federal government and after the merger its share would increase up to Rs80 billion. "The federal government would continue providing Rs100 billion annually for the infrastructure development and efficient services in Fata. This would continue for coming 10 years till the completion of infrastructure, services and installing the governance structure there," he said.

The chief minister said resources would not be a problem though they would have to face serious challenges. "The sooner we go for the merger the better it will be for the entire region. The extension of local government system and holding of the elections were some challenges but I believe we would overcome these issues," said the chief minister.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan along with the chief minister and provincial ministers visited different sections of the hospital and praised the hospital administration for installing state-of-the-art equipment and improving patient care. "What we see today in this hospital is because of the health reforms," he said.