Fazl calls for deciding FATA’s fate after consulting people

Says his party would oppose any move for Fata’s immediate merger with K-P

PESHAWAR: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said his party will never allow merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa if it is done without consulting tribal people.

“Our party has always supported reforms in the existing system of Fata but we will never support immediate merger of the tribal region with K-P. No one can dare merge Fata with K-P until the tribal people are taken into confidence,” said Fazl on Saturday.

He was addressing participants of a Fata Youth Convention arranged by the JUI-F at Peshawar’s Tehmas Stadium in connection with tribal areas reforms process.



“Changes should be made in the existing system just like in the past when the Political Parties Order was extended to the [tribal] areas,” he added.

Talking with reference to a recent march by tribal people and political parties to Islamabad, Fazl alleged that those who walked to Islamabad were just political workers from Charsadda, Nowshera and other settled areas of the province.

“We can also call a march against the merger but it can turn violent, and we believe in talks,” he said, adding that he invited political parties for negotiations as the political leadership should sit and discuss the reforms with tribal people.

He said it was the agenda of the west to provoke tribal youth against their elders. He said in Fata’s culture, youth did not stand up against decisions of their elders. “Youth need to follow your elders as they are more educated and matured to decide the future of tribal regions.”

Talking with regard to the British-era Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) that regulates Fata, the JUI-F chief said the FCR had not marginalised or suppressed the tribal people and not stopped the government from carrying out development work.

“If the FCR is a British-era law, so are hundreds of other laws which are imposed in settled areas of Pakistan. I invite the leadership to come and sit with us to make laws according to Sharia,” he said.

In an oblique reference to the PTI-led K-P government, Fazl said some elements were trying to disturb and stop his party from holding the convention but the tribal peoples’ commitment had made it possible.



He said the Fata people faced numerous problems after getting displaced by military operations. “They need to be completely settled in their villages before any merger or reforms,” he added.

Addressing the gathering, JUI-F leader and Federal Minister for Housing Akram Khan Durrani said the PTI had opposed a 3% share in the National Funds Commission (NFC) for Fata but at the same time it was supporting the merger.

“Change has been brought by the JUI-F and not by the PTI. The PTI’s change is against the province’s culture, norms and traditions,” Durrani added.