Time for unity: Bring FATA into main politics, says Babak

PESHAWAR: The tribal regions should be made part of mainstream politics so “national problems” could be resolved, Awami National Party Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak was quoted in a press release issued on Sunday. Babak said ongoing tensions are a result of the demarcation of the territory by colonial rulers, which splintered Pukhtuns into various groups. The statement quoted him as saying it was the need of the hour that Pukhtuns unite. The ANP leader, who was also the former education minister under the party’s government, said reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas were only possible when out-dated laws imposed by colonial rulers are done away with and Fata is merged with K-P. Babak added tribespeople were being displaced and were being deprived of their rights. But, he said, ANP was determined to help the tribespeople in their struggle. He called upon all the political parties to support the tribespeople’s demand of merging K-P with Fata.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th,  2016.