Govt asked to declare Fata a separate province

BARA: Malik Zarbad Khan Afridi, the chairman of Pakistan Awami Inqilabi League, on Sunday asked the government to declare the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) a separate province forthwith. Addressing a gathering held in connection with the foundation day of the party here, he said the tribal people would not accept the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the tribesmen had been deprived of basic rights and compelled to leave their areas due to the negligence of the government that failed to provide them facilities. "Owing to the prolonged militancy, educational institutions and hospitals, business of the local people were destroyed and the development projects were halted," he lamented.

He added the tribal people would not accept the establishment of the proposed Fata Council and the merger of tribal areas with KP as they demanded a separate province. "The internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned to their native areas three years ago, but the government has yet to reconstruct the 68 schools destroyed by militants in Khyber Agency," he noted with concern. He said his party activists would launch protest against the government for failing to facilitate the returning families.