PJDP demands separate province for Fata

LANDIKOTAL: The Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party (PJDP) on Thursday demanded a separate province for Fata people. The announce was made at a meeting of tribal delegation with Pakistan Justice Democratic and Party (PJDP) president Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Islamabad.

The delegation, led by PJDP Fata President Daulat Shah Afridi, held talks with the former chief Justice on the burning issue of Fata reforms. The tribal elders Afsari Khan Mohmand, Karimullah Shinwari and Younis Khan Shinwari were among the members of the delegation. Senior Supreme Court lawyers Sheikh Ihsanuddin and Noor Alam Khan were also present.

Talking to The News, PJDP head Iftikhar Chaudhry said that they discussed various aspects of Fata people. He said after the thorough discussion with party leaders and law experts they decided that it would be better to give a separate province to tribal people.

"We will file a petition in Supreme Court in few days to pursue a case for an independent province for Fata people," said the former chief justice. He added that the merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would add to their miseries. Iftikhar Chaudhry said article-1 of the Constitution of Pakistan says that Fata is an independent unit being deal with Frontier Crimes Regulation.

He said it was legally not possible to merge Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without bringing changes in the Constitution of Pakistan. "Contrary to political and basic human rights the government and some of the political parties are demanding Fata's merger without conducting referendum on the subject that what tribal people want," Chaudhry Iftikhar said.