ISLAMABAD: Chief of Tehreek Sooba Hazara Baba Haider Zaman on Monday opposed the proposed merger of Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and announced a countrywide campaign for creation of more provinces.

Speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club along with a number of politicians, Baba Zaman solution to the country’s problems lied in more provinces of small sizes.

“Small administrative units can alleviate corruption and ensure good governance as it will help in equal distribution of resources among provinces,” he said.

He announced that he would start a country wide campaign from April 12 for the creation of new provinces such as Fata, Hazara, Seraiki province, etc.

Tehreek Sooba Hazara chief announces a countrywide campaign for creation of more provinces

Baba Zaman said the people of Fata should have been asked whether they wanted a separate province or merger in KP.

He proposed the government to hold a referendum in Fata before taking any decision.

“All the political parties claim that people of Fata will decide their future but practically they are not sincere in their acts,” he claimed.

He alleged that at present people of Fata were slaves of the federal government and now efforts were being made to make them slaves of the provincial government.

MNA Dawar Khan Kundi stressed the need for increasing the federating units. Unfortunately, here decisions are made against the will of the people such as Seraiki people are not getting their province.

Public representative of Fata were not considered while making the decision on Fata. The merger of Fata in KP will be against the will of the people,” he said.

In the past, Pakistan suffered because of ‘One Unit’ but no one is ready to learn from the mistakes, he said, adding both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari have double standards and even Imran Khan did not say a single word on the issue, he said.

He said that a campaign for more provinces will be launched from April 12.

Former Senator Hameedullah Jan Afridi said that present democracy could not change the fate of the country.

“In democracy all the power should be given to the people but here 15 million tribal people have been deprived of their rights.

However, now the tribal people have got awareness about their rights. Government should hold referendum to know whether the people of Fata wanted merger in KP or a separate province. Moreover, Seraiki and Gilgit provinces should also be created, he said.

MNA Jamshed Dasti, while endorsing all the speakers’ views, said people of Hazara, Fata, Seraiki and Gilgit should have their own provinces.

“There are 60 million people living on Seraiki belt but they are being ignored as a very small chunk of development funds is spent there.

All over the world new provinces are made to address the issues of the people but here big political parties are against it because they feel that they will lose their control over the people,” he said.

He said new provinces would solve some basic problem of the people including education and health.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2017