Fata’s merger with KP demanded

BARA: A grand gathering held in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency on Sunday demanded the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, representation in the provincial assembly before the next general election and three per cent share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

The demands were made as several political parties’ leaders and activists, civil society members, parliamentarians, lawyers, elders, students and others attended the gathering arranged at Bar Qambarkhel area of Bara. The organisers said the event was aimed at renewing the support to the Fata Reforms and stress an early merger of the tribal region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Member National Assembly (MNA) from Khyber Agency Shajee Gul Afridi presided over the gathering. The speakers said though Fata was part of the country under the 1973 Constitution, yet an inhuman law, Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), implemented by the British in the region since 1901, continued to affect the lives of the tribal people. They said the Fata should merge with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding we would not accept other kind of reforms by the government.

The speakers said Fata people should have representation in the provincial assembly after allowing them to contest election in 2018. “We are facing a lot of the problems, relating to education, health, business, drinking water and irrigation system in Fata,” MNA Shahjee Gul said.

The political leaders and elders asked the prime minister to take pity on the plight of the tribesmen and give them rights as per Constitution. They said they would stage a sit-in Islamabad on October 9 if these demands were not met.