JI rejects federal committee on merged districts

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has categorically rejected the federal government's committee on merged districts, led by Federal Minister Amir Muqam, calling it in violation of the Constitution of Pakistan. The party also strongly opposed any possible military operation or efforts to reverse the merger of the tribal areas under the pretext of rising lawlessness in the region.

In a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Jamaat-e-Islami's Central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Abdul Wasi, former senior provincial minister and Northern K-P chief Inayatullah Khan, alongside South K-P General Secretary Muhammad Zahoor Khattak and Provincial Information Secretary Noorul Wahid Jadoon, announced that the party will hold an All Parties Conference (APC) in Peshawar on July 29 to discuss the issue.

The JI leadership asserted that the federal government has no authority to make major decisions regarding the merged districts following the 25th Constitutional Amendment, which integrated the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into K-P.

"Any significant decision regarding the merged districts is now the constitutional prerogative of the provincial assembly," they emphasized.

They urged the federal government to refrain from unconstitutional steps that could further marginalize the already underdeveloped tribal districts and instead focus on fulfilling the promises made at the time of the merger. These include ensuring the region's development and integration into the mainstream.