PTI hints at agitation over FATA reforms delay

Party decides to attend all-party conference called by Qadri


Danish Hussain December 24, 2017
PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday hinted at the launch of an agitation campaign that may include a long march from the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) to Islamabad against delay in tribal areas’ merger with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

This was decided during a meeting of the party’s core group held at Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence here.

The meeting also decided that the PTI would participate in an all-party conference convened by Dr Tahirul Qadri of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). PTI’s former secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen also attended the meeting.

Reforms delay: FATA alliance gives call for protests

Condemning the government’s U-turn on Fata-KP merger, participants of the meeting vowed not to allow anyone to try and damage the national solidarity on the issue and play with the future of the people living in tribal areas.

The meeting also condemned the statement of US Vice-President Mike Pence, saying it had hurt people’s sentiments.

“Pakistan rendered innumerable sacrifices in the war against terrorism. Such statements reflect defeat and frustration,” members of the core group agreed.

The PTI also reiterated its resolve to keep the post of the party’s secretary general vacant until the Supreme Court’s decision on a review petition due to be filed by Tareen.

Imran Khan approaches SC to help merge FATA with K-P

Those lobbying for the post were given a categorical message that all legal options would be exercised to save Tareen from disqualification.

Tareen had recently gone to London to consult with his legal aides and sources said that he was optimistic about the outcome of the review petition.

They said that the PTI chairman acknowledged the services rendered by Tareen and assured him that he would always stand by his him, adding that the party would file a review petition in the apex court and all legal means would be used to save him from the lifetime disqualification.

In a statement issued on the occasion, the PTI said that the core committee had decided to pursue the Hudabiya Papers Mills case after a three-judge Supreme Court bench recently rejected the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeal to reopen a reference in this regard.

The core group also decided to send a team led by vice president Shah Mehmood Qureshi to participate in the APC called by the PAT. It also said that PTI would raise the issue of the Model Town massacre from all available platforms.

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