KHYBER: Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad said here on Monday that people of tribal districts were disappointed with the government for its failure to implement the merger plan.

Speaking to party workers, he said that the fruits of the long awaited merger could not be reaped by the people of erstwhile Fata owing to the flawed policies of the PTI government.

He said that the proposed development plan could have put the tribal districts on the path of speedy development and prosperity.

“The apathy and inefficiency of the present government have deprived the residents of the tribal districts of the benefits of the historic merger of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” said the JI leader.

He said that the region was still faced with a host of problems that included excessive power loadshedding, shortage of drinking water, suspension of mobile internet service for over four years, damaged houses of the internally displaced families and shortage of health and educational facilities.

The JI leader alleged that the present government also failed to arrange for the pledged development funds.

The development of the regions was still a far cry, he added.

He said that although the merger plan could not be reversed, yet the government was not interested in its implementation in letter and spirit.

He said that his party was planning to launch a movement to win legal and constitutional rights for the people of tribal districts along with expediting the process of merger as the government failed to secure the share of merged districts in National Financial Commission award.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2020