BAJAUR: Tribal elders opposing the merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here on Monday decided to continue their struggle until their demand for giving a provincial status to the region was accepted.

They were speaking at a meeting held in Khar to finalise arrangements for the scheduled meeting of anti-merger forces in Islamabad on Tuesday (today).

Elders belonging to Tharkani and Utmankhel tribes, the two main tribes of Bajaur, attended the meeting.

The participants said the Islamabad gathering would give further impetus to the anti-merger struggle.

They claimed that besides elders, a large number of people from Bajaur tribal district would participate in the meeting. The participants expressed the hope that the gathering would prove to be a milestone in their struggle for a separate province.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2021