PESHAWAR: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan on Friday flayed Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Awami leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai for opposing the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“One struck with amazement that a Pakhtun nationalist is opposing the merger of Fata with KP,” Asfandyar told party workers during a function here, where PkMAP provincial general secretary Arbab Mujibur Rehman joined the ANP along with supporters.

The PMAP had organised a jirga in Islamabad on Jan 30, which rejected the proposed Fata-KP merger plan and demanded political, administrative, legal and security reforms in the tribal region.

The ANP along with other mainstream political parties are demanding the immediate merger of tribal region with KP.

It has been organising jirgas since the federal government unveiled the report of the six-member government committee on Fata reforms last year.

Addressing a function, Asfandyar Wali announced that his party would convene a ‘grand jirga’ in Peshawar in March to muster the support of tribal elders on the status of Fata. He said elders and political workers of different parties would be invited to attend the jirga.

“There is no logic to oppose the merger of Fata with our province,” he said.

He said his party would continue struggle for the eradication of black laws from tribal region and bring people of Fata to the mainstream.

The ANP chief demanded the immediate merger of Fata with KP and conduct population census in the area as soon as possible.

“The time has come to abolish draconian black laws, a legacy of the Colonial Empire,” he said while referring to the Frontier Crimes Regulation promulgated in early 20th century.

Mr. Asfandyar demanded a huge financial package for Fata and representation of tribal people in the next provincial cabinet according to their population.

He said a joint resolution of parliamentarians from Fata, which demanded merger of Fata with KP, should be implemented in letter and spirit.

Asfandyar Wali welcomed the federal government’s decision to hold population census in March and urged people to fully participate in this exercise.

Terming the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor a game changer for the region he said that his party would launch protest movement if western route was ignored.

The ANP leader criticised talks among China, Pakistan and Russia on the restoration of peace in Afghanistan without engaging Afghan government.

“What will be the reaction of the government of Pakistan if Russia, China and Afghanistan start dialogue to solve Kashmir issue in the absence of Islamabad?”

He said Islamabad and Kabul would have to recognise each other’s existence and start joint efforts for the restoration of durable peace in the region. He came down heavily on Pakistan Tehreek Insaf led government for its “flawed” policies in the province.

Mr. Asfandyar complained that the government hadn’t established a single university during the last three years.

“Bad governance and corruption are the hallmarks of the current government,” he said.

ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, former deputy speaker of the assembly Khushdil Khan and party leaders Arbab Mohammad Tahir and Arbab Mohammad Tahir also addressed the function.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2017