Fazl, Achakzai created hurdles in Fata bill: Qureshi

MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi Friday said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai were the prime hurdle in the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Talking to media men at the airport here, he said the National Assembly had done a historic job and buried hundreds years old FCR law. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N was hectically engaged in reconciliation with its partners, including Jamiat Ulema Islam-F and Pakhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party but both the parties opposed the merger, he added.

He said the number of 228 votes were required for making consensus on Fata. The National Assembly speaker sent a chit to him, saying the bill is hard to pass because MQM was not taking part in the voting on Fata bill, he said. “I approached and wooed them. Later, MQM lawmakers cast their votes in favour of the bill. I thanked them for taking part in the voting process,” he added.

Qureshi said the entire Fata was in protest against the black law of the English rulers. The people of Fata would be given representation right in the province and the centre. The PTI would bring an effective political system in Fata, including education and health services. Now peace would prevail in Fata, he remarked. To a query, he said the party had principally decided creation of south Punjab province.