KHAR: Jamaat-i-Islami secretary general Liaquat Baloch on Tuesday said that merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was vital to end the 70 years long sense of deprivation among the tribesmen, and called upon the federal government to immediately implement the proposed reforms package in the tribal region.

He was addressing a consultation meeting on Fata issues organised by JI local chapter in Khar.

The consultation meeting, the first ever organised by a political party in the agency was meant to discuss different issues of the tribal areas, including the reforms package and merger of Fata with KP.

Mr Baloch said his party had welcomed the reforms package as amendments in the current governance system had been a longstanding demand of the tribal people.

However, he criticised the federal government for giving five years timeframe for the merger.

He said JI wanted the merger before the 2018 general elections and added that efforts would be expedited to force the government to integrate the tribal areas into the mainstream immediately so that tribal people could participate in the provincial assembly elections.

He said the federal government’s plan to introduce Riwaj Act in the tribal areas instead of country’s regular laws would further increase difficulties for the people. He said the reforms must be according to the wishes of people.

Mr Baloch said constitutionally Fata was part of Pakistan as its people had always rendered sacrifices for the country’s protection, but the rulers had deprived the tribesmen of basic rights.

He expressed the hope that Fata reforms would be a game changer for the tribesmen.

Without naming anyone, the JI leader said those who were opposing the merger of Fata with KP wanted to keep the tribesmen backward.

He expressed concern over absence of education and health facilities in the tribal areas and asked the government to take solid steps for establishment of a medical college and university in each tribal agency.

He demanded the government to allocate at least six per cent share in the National Finance Commission award for the tribal region.

Mr Baloch also asked the government to include the tribal areas in the China -Pakistan Economic Corridor.

JI provincial deputy chief Sahibzada Haroon Rasheed, Fata deputy head Mohammad Sufi and local chapter emir Qari Abdul Majeed also spoke on the occasion, and highlighted the importance of merger of Fata with KP.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2017