Ready to play role for peace in K-P, says Fazl

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has expressed his willingness to play a role in restoring peace in the newly-merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

He was addressing a press conference on Saturday at his residence in Dera Ismail Khan after meeting a tribal Jirga.

He urged the stakeholders to listen to the voices of tribesmen, noting that life in the merged districts had been disrupted for nearly two decades.

"It has been almost nine years and the tribal areas have yet to get their due rights," he said, noting that it was the state's responsibility to restore peace in the region.

He highlighted that in the past nine years, the promised allocation of Rs100 billion per annum had not been fulfilled, with only Rs75 billion being received so far.

"Government and state representatives often engage in discussions with tribal elders, but there has been no progress," he said, adding that even settled areas were no longer safe.

"We advocate policies that promote sustainable peace in these regions", he said.

He urged the government and relevant institutions to listen to the grievances of the affected people, emphasizing that the tribal elders had come to him with their issues and that he hoped their voices would reach those in power.

He also called for the establishment of a national forum where all political parties could convene to deliberate on and resolve national issues.