JUI-S chief urges federal govt to merge Fata into KP

NOWSHERA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq on Saturday said that the federal government should merge the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forthwith to fulfill the longstanding demand of the tribal people.
Announcing support to all demands of the Fata Youth Jirga, which called on him at Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak, the JUI-S chief said that Fata merger with KP was the only viable solution to the plights of tribespeople.
“The Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) must be abolished as it is a black law and against the teachings of Quran and Sunnah,” the Maulana told the delegation, adding that the entire tribe should not be punished for the wrongdoings of a single person from that particular tribe.
Led by Nisar Baz, the Fata Youth Jirga members, including Muhammad Arshad Afridi, Shaukat Aziz, Waseem Haider, Siraj Safi, Akhtar Gul, Adnan Khan, Muhammad Saleem, Shahjehan, Umair Wazir and others, met with Maulana Samiul Haq.
Maulana Yousaf Shah, Maulana Hamidul Haq, Ahmed Shah Usama Haqqani and Huzaima Haqqani assisted the JUI-S chief during the meeting.
Both the sides thoroughly discussed the issue of Fata merger with KP and expressed annoyance over reservations by certain parties against it.
Maulana Samiul Haq, who is also chairman of Defence of Pakistan Council, said that the government should immediately repeal FCR, merge Fata with KP, announce seats for Fata in provincial assembly and a handsome share in the National Finance Commission (award) for tribal region before the general election 2018.
He assured the delegation of full support till merger of Fata with KP, saying that his party had demanded annulment of FCR during a Grand Fata Jirga some two years ago in Peshawar.
He said that besides JUI-S all the parties in Defence of Pakistan Council would also be taken onboard to raise the issue with the government for Fata-KP merger.
The Maulana said that JUI-S had already made arrangements for holding a meeting on merger on December 7. He added that prominent Ulema from Fata and universities students would participate in the meeting.