ISLAMABAD: Scores of people from Fata, who have been holding a sit-in outside the National Press Club for a few days, on Sunday announced that they will move their protest camp to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday (today).

Addressing a press conference, Muttahida Qabail Party Vice Chairman Habib Noor Orakzai said they had been demanding that the election for provincial assembly should be held simultaneously in the tribal areas and other parts of KP on July 25. “As the ECP remained unmoved, we are left with no other option but to start a sit-in in front of the commission office till our demand is fulfilled.”

Mr Orakzai said though after a long struggle people of Fata had managed to get the 31st Amendment passed it seemed some forces were still not in favour of allowing the tribal people to elect their representatives.

Talking to Dawn, he said: “On May 27, we filed an application with the ECP to address our issue and we also held a sit-in before Eid but the ECP did not consider our request.”

Mr Orakzai said if election cannot be held in Fata on July 25 it can be delayed for a few days or weeks. However, holding the election after a year is unacceptable.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018