JUI-F vows it won't let FATA become part of K-P

Party's Fata chief Abdul Shakoor says referendum only solution to the problem

PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) will do everything it can to prevent Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) from becoming a part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the party's Fata chief, Abdul Shakoor, said on Tuesday.

"The merger is against the will of Fata's residents," he maintained in a statement.

"The only solution to the problem is to hold a referendum to decide the fate of the tribal areas instead of imposing a decision on its people," he added.

Shakoor said those who were calling for the merger were only doing so to divert attention from the pressing problems faced by the people of Fata.

“Eighty % of Fata's population is against the merger,” he claimed.



Shakoor demanded that the sentiments of the people must be taken into consideration and any unilateral decision must be avoided.

"We have challenged the recommendations presented by the Fata reforms committee," he said.

The JUI-F Fata chief implored the government to speed up the process of resettling displaced tribal families in their hometowns.

He also urged the government to implement the Shariah Law in the tribal areas instead of introducing the Rivaj Act.

Shakoor told The Express Tribune that the authorities must conduct local bodies election in Fata as well.

He added that the government should increase the region's share from three per cent  to five per cent in the National Finance Commission award.

"Besides, the Supreme Court's jurisdiction should also be extended to Fata," he demanded.