LANDI KOTAL, May 17: Five independent MNAs-elect from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have declined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz offer to join the party and instead decided to retain their independent status in the National Assembly.

These five MNAs-elect include Malik Bilal Rehman of Mohmand Agency, Haji Bismillah Khan of Bajaur Agency, Haji Shahji Gul of Khyber Agency, Ghazi Gulab Jamal of Orakzai Agency and Sajid Hussain Turi of Kurram Agency.

Another independent MNA-elect from North Waziristan Mohammad Nazir has joined the PML-N two days ago. Shahabuddin from Bajaur has won the election on PML-N ticket, while Jamaluddin from South Waziristan returned to the National Assembly on JUI-F ticket. Qaisar Jamal Afridi of Pakistan Tehrik Insaf won from the seat of six Frontier Regions.

Election on NA-38 (Kurram Agency) was postponed, while date for re-polling on some polling stations of NA-46 (Khyber Agency-Bara) and NA-41 (South Waziristan-Wana) is yet to be announced.

The group of five independents met in Islamabad on Wednesday and Thursday to chalk out their future line of action. It also met PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Wednesday and discussed with him possibilities of the group’s support to the PML-N government in the centre.

“Shahbaz Sharif offered us to join his party and become part of the federal government, but we declined the offer and told him that we would like to remain independent as we have won elections as independent candidates,” Shahji Gul told Dawn when asked about his future plans.

He said that joining any political party would mean that they would abide by the party manifesto thus sacrificing pledges and promises they had made with their electorates during election campaign.

Mr Gul, however, said that they had put forward their charter of demands to the PML-N leadership based on the promises they had made with the people of their constituencies.

“If these demands are accepted then we will jointly announce our support to the PML-N government,” he said.

Mr Jamal, another member of the group, said that restoration of peace in Fata, a comprehensive development package, emergency assistance to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Fata and their early return to respective areas were some of the major demands they had placed before the Sharif brothers during their meeting in Islamabad.

He also acknowledged that the group had decided to stay independents and said that a decision to this effect was already conveyed to the majority party leaders at the centre.

He said that the main demands included a massive development package for Fata and restoration of lasting peace, as the tribal areas had been deliberately kept under-developed during last six decades of both democratic and military rule.

He said that they had also demanded equal share in the National Finance Commission award for Fata.

He, however, said that the group was divided over the future status of Fata and they had so far not been able to devise a consensus strategy over the formation of a separate province or its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We have conveyed to the PML-N leadership that people of Fata should be taken into confidence while bringing about any change in its status,” he said and added that peace and development were their top priorities.