Swat traders, politicians reject merger of Pata into KP

MINGORA: Rejecting the merger of provincially administered tribal areas (Pata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the politicians, traders and business community members on Saturday threatened to launch protest movement if the bill was passed from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Speaking at the All Parties Conference at the Swat Press Club, the local leaders and business community representatives vowed to block the efforts to do away with the special status of the region.

President Swat Traders Federation Abdul Rahim Khan said that Swat district had been enjoying special status since its merger in Pakistan in 1969.

He added that the government needed to work for the development of education, health and infrastructure. He said that the government decision was aimed at depriving the people of Swat and Malakand Division of the incentives, given at the time of merger.

Rahim Khan said that the people of this region have been the victim of militancy, flood and earthquake and demanded the federal government to review the decision.

President All Swat Hotel Association Zahid Khan said that at the time of merger in 1969, it was promised that the region would be a tax free area.

He demanded that the government should build the roads to Kalam and Malam Jabba on priority basis to boost tourism.

ANP leader and ex-MPA Wajid Ali Khan criticised the role of the parliamentarians belong to Swat and other areas of Malakand Division.

“The people of Swat will ask the elected parliamentarians of the area that why they remained silent on the issue in the parliament. Ishaq Zahid from JUI-F and Asghar Khan Advocate of PKMAP said that merger of both Fata and Pata was a misfortune for the people of these areas. They said that government should have declared Fata as new province.

The participants of All Parties Conference, through a declaration, asked the PTI and other parties not to pass the bill from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

They warned the concerned authorities that if the decision was not reversed, they will initiate movement for the restoration of Pata.

They threatened to hold rallies, observe shutter down strikes, long march and even boycott the next election.