PESHAWAR: The Fata Students Organisation has demanded the immediate implementation of the proposed reforms in their region and early Fata-KP merger.

It also asked for the early rehabilitation of internally displaced persons from tribal region.

FSO central president Shaukat Aziz told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club that the federal government was using delaying tactics in acting on the recommendations of the Fata Reforms Committee and thus, causing unrest among the local residents.

He said the delay in action on the committee’s advice was an attempt to continue denying fundamental rights and basic facilities of life to the people of Fata.

Mr Aziz said merger with KP was imperative for the economic prosperity and development of tribal areas.

Ask govt to merge Fata with KP, rehabilitate displaced persons

He said tribal people should be given all rights and facilities enjoyed by the people living in other parts of the country.

The student leader said on one hand, the federal government was seeking suggestions for the solution to Fata problems but on the other, it had changed the plan to merge the region with KP to please some politicians.

He rejected the proposed replacement of the Frontier Crimes Regulation with the Rewaj Act and urged the federal government to extend constitutional rights to the tribal areas.

Mr Aziz said the people considered the FCR to be a black law and therefore, it should be completely abolished, while Fata should be merged with KP to overcome its problems.

He said tribal people won’t accept any changes to the recommended reforms.

The student leader said the people of Fata had suffered a lot due to the war against terrorism in the forms of damage to life and property and massive displacements, but the government wasn’t bothered to take steps for their early rehabilitation.

He also demanded the tribal region’s people be given representation in the KP Assembly through participation in the 2018 general elections.

Mr Aziz demanded special seats for tribal women in the National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

He demanded increase in the proposed share for Fata in the National Finance Commission Award from three per cent to five per cent.

He also said the Fata should be declared a tax-free zone for 10 years in light of massive destructions during the last few years.

The student leader complained that the former army chief had announced the establishment of five cadet colleges in various Fata agencies but no action had been taken on it by the relevant authorities.

He demanded the establishment of campuses of medical and engineering colleges in tribal region.

Mr Aziz also sought the ‘due’ share for Fata in the multibillion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

He alleged the ‘mistreatment and harassment’ of Fata people by the police in settled areas and demanded the early necessary action by the government.

FSO women wing president Samareen Wazir, vice president Aziza Mehsud, general secretary Abdul Rahim Aurakzai, central vice-president Mohammad Ilyas, senior vice-president Irshad Afridi and deputy secretary Khayal Zaman Aurakzai were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2017