PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday suggested the holding of referendum on the proposal of the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr. Fazl told reporters at the party secretariat here that he had already discussed the Fata-KP merger idea with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and suggested the formation of a parliamentary committee to ‘tackle the matter’.

“Instead of imposing a decision of Islamabad (on them), why not a referendum should be held to seek the opinion of tribal people on whether they want merger with KP or a separate province,” he said.

The JUI-F chief said a false impression was being created that his party was opposed to the Fata-KP merger and didn’t want reforms in the tribal region.

“This is absolutely wrong that JUI doesn’t favour merger. Don’t create misunderstanding! Our position is very clear on Fata. We support every proposal if the government takes tribal people into confidence,” he said.

Says tribal people shouldn’t be treated like slaves

Mr. Fazl, whose party is a partner of the PML-N-led ruling coalition in the centre, opposed the report of the six-member Fata forms committee, which had recommended the merger of the tribal area with KP.

He said the people of Fata should not be treated like slaves, while political forces as well as other stakeholders should respect the opinion of tribal population in this regard.

The JUI-F chief said the party believed in resolution of disputes.

He expressed reservation about the content of the Fata reforms committee’s report saying the word ‘rebellions’ had been used for tribal people in the document.

“In fact, the colonial government used this word for the tribal people at its time,” he said.

Mr. Fazl said the federal government had constituted a committee headed by adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz that submitted its recommendations about the political streamlining of Fata of late.

The committee after holding consultation with the tribal people and other stakeholders had prepared a set of recommendations, including one for the merger of Fata with KP.

The report is under discussion in the National Assembly.

The JUI-F and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, both the coalition partners of the ruling PML-N in the centre, have opposed the report in the Lower House of Parliament.

Mr. Fazl denied that a bill seeking the abolition of Article 247 of the Constitution carried signatures of 19 Fata parliamentarians.

“Only four MNAs had signed the bill but it was claimed that 19 members of the National Assembly and Senate had signed it draft,” he said.

The JUI-F chief said all political parties had supported a joint declaration of the jirga, which took place at the Convention Centre, Islamabad, in 2012, that stated that the opinion of the local population would be sought for deciding the future of Fata.

He said not a single party had opposed that declaration of the jirga, which was also attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Mr. Fazl said instead of extending legal system prevalent in other parts of the country to Fata, why not Shariat should be enforced in the region.

“When the people of settled areas are not happy with the existing criminal justice system, then how we could suggest these laws for the tribal people,” he said.

Asked whether PTI chairman Imran Khan would be able to seize Islamabad on October 30, the JUI-F chief said, “kya piddi aur kya piddi ka shorba (all mouth and no trousers).”

He said PM Nawaz Sharif understood how to counter such protests.

Rejecting the reservations of various political parties on the China-Pakistan Economic Corrido, Mr. Fazl said the people were being misled about the multibillion dollar project.

“Our political rivals came to naught after our mammoth public meeting in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan,” he said while referring to two political gatherings addressed by him and PM Nawaz Sharif.

The JUI-F chief said parties had endorsed the decisions of the multi-party conference held in Islamabad on the CPEC but they later began raising hue and cry.

He said his party did not oppose the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Motorway project connecting M1 with Malakand division.

“Some people began opposing the CPEC after (my hometown) Dera Ismail Khan was made part of it,” he insisted.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2016