LANDI KOTAL: Six parliamentarians from three tribal agencies have decided to convene a convention at Islamabad Convention Centre on February 6 to evolve a joint strategy about Fata reforms and merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

MNAs Haji Shahji Gul, Nasir Khan, Shahabuddin Khan and Sajid Hussain Turi from Khyber, Bajaur and Kurram agencies respectively and Senator Sajjad Khan Turi and Senator Haji Momin Khan Afridi told journalists in Jamrud on Wednesday that all the pro-reforms groups from seven tribal agencies and six frontier regions were invited to participate in the convention.

They said that the purpose of the convention was to convey to the entire world that people of tribal areas wanted genuine reforms in their existing administrative system, which had denied them all the basic human and constitutional rights for the last seven decades.

The parliamentarians said that tribal people supported merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so that the region could be brought into the mainstream.

“Merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and total repeal of Frontier Crimes Regulation will end the decades-old deprivation of tribal people,” they said.

The tribal lawmakers added that a convoy of pro-reforms tribesmen would leave Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud on February 6 and would march towards the federal capital via Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway.

Meanwhile, three persons were injured when roof of an under-construction house caved in on Wednesday in Landi Kotal.

Khasadar officials said that an electrician Jabir Khan of Landi Kotal and two masons Saqib and Tawas hailing from Nowshera were shifted to local hospital immediately after the incident. Their condition was stated to be out of danger.

MOBILE SETS SEIZED: Customs staff at Torkham border on Wednesday foiled an attempt to smuggle imported mobile phone sets into Pakistan.

Inspector Naeem Khan said that at least 611 mobile phone sets were concealed in a truck coming from Afghanistan. He said that driver of the vehicle was arrested alongside impounding the vehicle and seizing the smuggled mobile phone sets.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2017