Tribesmen oppose FATA merger plan

Tribal elders railed against the federal government on Sunday for approving the FATA's merger with K-P

LANDI KOTAL: Tribal elders railed against the federal government on Sunday for approving the Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ merger with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa while drawing up plans for protests against the move.



The decision to organise the protests will be taken after a meeting with JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman on March 11 in Peshawar, members of a grand Jirga said. Tribesmen from the seven tribal agencies constituting Fata met in Hayatabad on Sunday.

“The government has imposed a decision on the masses of Fata without their consultation or holding a referendum in the agencies. Such a decision of a few people from the majority is not democratic and we oppose any such act of the federal government,” the Jirga stated in a unanimous resolution.



The resolution also said tribal elders and political groupings would also meet with the JUI-F chief in Peshawar. The Jirga also agreed in principle to hold a rally each day in the headquarters of each agency to register their protest against the decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2017.