Province status for Fata: PHC puts president on notice

PESHAWAR: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday put on notice President of Pakistan through principal secretary to submit reply in a petition seeking separate province status for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) instead of merger with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ghazanfar Khan and Justice Muhammad Ayub also put on notice secretary Safron and Additional Chief Secretary Fata to submit reply before the next hearing. The bench issued notice in the petition filed by regional President of Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party for Fata, Daulat Shah Afridi, a resident of Landikotal, Khyber Agency, through his lawyer Noor Alam Khan. The petitioner prayed the court to order the respondents to declare Fata as separate province by abstaining from integration with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.