JI, tribal elders call for KP-Fata merger

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Liaqat Baloch and leading tribal elders have called upon the government to immediately present a bill for Fata’s merger in the National Assembly in the light of the Sartaj Aziz Committee report.

Addressing a joint press conference at Mansoora on Sunday, Liaqat Baloch said that the PML-N government itself was hesitant on the issue and was adopting a hostile attitude instead of being a supporter.

He said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi himself was undecided due to the divergent opinions within the ruling party. He said that the ruling junta had always created obstacles for the country only to protect its interests.

The tribal elders held the government responsible for the delay in Fata’s merger.The JI secretary general demanded of the government to announce FATA’s merger with KP before the elections and grant the right of representation in provincial assembly and local bodies. He said the FCR should be abolished in FATA, and the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Peshawar High Court be extended to the tribal areas. He demanded that a special package must be announced for the development of infrastructure in FATA and a reasonable share be given in the NFC Award to FATA.