Tribesmen demand reversal of Fata-KP merger

Our correspondent: JAMRUD: Hundreds of people from tribal districts on Tuesday left for Islamabad to stage a protest seeking reversal of the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Chanting slogans against the merger, the tribal people boarded vehicles to hold a jirga in the federal capital.

The elders and other people will also express their views about this issue.

Bismillah Khan, organiser of the jirga, told media that they rejected the merger of ex-Fata with KP, saying it was carried out through coercion.

He claimed that the tribal people were kept in the dark and they were not taken into confidence before going ahead with the merger plan. He said the merger was carried out without the consent of the tribal people, who were the real stakeholders.

The government, Bismillah Khan, alleged had deprived the tribal people of their due rights, which was causing resentment among the local population.

“We urge the government to undo the merger and restore the old status of Fata. We will not rest until the government reversed the decision,” he added.