LANDI KOTAL: Jamaat-i-Islami, Fata chapter, on Friday demanded merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the 2018 general elections, saying it was in the best interest of people of the region.

Addressing a press conference here, Fata JI chief Sahibzada Haroon Rashid cautioned against any undue delay in the merger process as it would create chaos in the region.

He insisted that almost all the major political forces and other stakeholders had given their consent in favour of merger with KP as it would ensure provision of all the constitutional, legal and political rights to the Fata people.

“The recommendations presented by Sartaj Aziz-led committee are based on facts and are reflective of the genuine aspirations of the Fata people,” Mr Rashid claimed and said that delay in their implementation would cause a sense of deprivation among the residents of Fata.

He said that the people of Fata should be freed from the shackles of FCR as soon as possible.

Fata JI chief claims all stakeholders favour merger

GIRL DIES OF CONGO FEVER: An eight-year-old girl from Bara sub-division of Khyber Agency died of Congo fever while her younger sister suffering from the same infection has been admitted to a hospital in Peshawar.

The girls’ father Ghandal Khan, a resident of Meel Ward in Akkakhel, said that both her daughters were diagnosed with Congo fever by doctors in Bara about a week ago. He said that Shasma died a few days ago while Khalida, 4, was now admitted to the Lady Reading Hospital.

Ghandal Khan said that the treatment prescribed by the doctors was very expensive. He appealed to the Khyber Agency political administration to arrange for free medicines for his ailing daughter.

MALAGORI PROTEST: Residents of Lowara Maina in Malagori sub-tehsil of Jamrud held a protest demonstration against the acute shortage of drinking water in their area.

The protesters chanted slogans against the local administration and the MNA from the area for their failure to ensure supply of drinking water to them. The protesters, led by Sabz Ali, said that they were compelled to fetch water in buckets from far-off localities as the water table in their locality had dropped down over the years.

They threatened to block the Peshawar-Torkham Highway if their demand for early start of work on water supply scheme was not met by the authorities concerned.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2016