ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e- Islam(Fazl) Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday said if the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata)were deprived of their independence and identity, he would be ready to go jail in his struggle to safeguard their rights. He expressed the resolve that living under slavery was no way acceptable as was done in 2001 when Pakistan was put under the US slavery.
He said that the tribal people should not be pressurised to accept themerger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). “The tribes have their own identity and only tribal leaders but no one else should make a decision about their area,” Fazlur Rehman said while addressing the Fata Supreme Council’s protest in the federal capital. They [tribal citizens] should not be pressured over the KPFata merger, he said. “We stand in solidarity with the citizens of the Fata and we shall continue to struggle for their rights.” He further said that the 2001 decision of the US slavery was wrong.
“I remained resolute at that time and now, too, I am ready to go to jail for my stance,” he asserted.
Fazlur Rehman said that JUI-F would endorse whatever decision the people of Fata and tribal elders would reach over purported merger with KP province.
He said that Parliament could amend the law and tribal elders could be pressurised but the people could not be.
Fazlur Rehman criticised his political opponents by asking them to make it clear if they were going to force the people to abide by the United States (US) for years to come. He said that JUI-F could not permit any front to strike a deal at the expense of Pakistan and the nation.
JUI-F asserted that he was willing to endure jail time again for not compromising on principles after he was jailed during former dictator Musharraf’s tenure.
