PTI urges govt to merge Fata with KP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentary party met here Thursday to ask the government to immediately get passed from the Parliament the constitutional amendment on merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who had summoned the hurriedly-called meeting, chaired the forum and took stock of the related issues and noted with concern that the government had delayed the merger just to please its allies. Both JUI-F and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party are fiercely opposed to merger of Fata with KP without having nod from the tribal people. Even Maulana Fazl said that the proposed merger was a foreign agenda. According to PTI Central Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry, the meetingmade it clear that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F and PkMAP Chairman Mehmood khan Achakzai were mainly responsible for whatever losses the people of the tribal areas had borne hitherto.

The forum said that Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and reforms in the tribal belt are key part of the PTI’s manifesto and it would not compromise on it come what may. Fawad said that the meeting emphasised that the proposal of merger was floated by PTI in 2016 and it was imperative to translate to into reality, as this would empower people of Fata in terms of administration and related financial matters.

The meeting decided to propose improvement in the proposed constitutional amendment and would push for Fata’s complete merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI MNAs and senators called on the government not to further delay the merger.

Meanwhile, a number of legislators, belonging to the ruling PML-N, decided to join PTI. Prominent among these: are MNA Ghulam Bibi Bharwana from Jhang and Sahbizada Nazir Sultan, who got elected as MNA from Jhang in 2013 as an independent candidate.

Col retired MNA Ghulam Rasool Sahi and former speaker of Punjab Assembly Afzal Sahi also announced to become part of PTI. Afzal Sahi first resigned as MPA and then joined PTI, saying he did not wish to remain part of PML-N any more and joining Imran’s party, out of patriotism. More MPAs from Punjab, who have had affiliation with PML-N are poised to join PTI shortly.

PTI also received a jolt when one of its estranged MNAs Mussarat Ahmadzeb resigned as PTI MNA and then joined PML-N and also participated in its Thursday’s parliamentary party meeting. In a separate statement, Imran has paid glowing tributes to Col Sohail Abid, who embraced martyrdom while fighting terrorists in Balochistan. Imran saluted Col Sahail and other military personnel, who had laid down their lives crushing terrorists.