PESHAWAR: Fata Qaumi Jirga, a group of people from different merged districts, has demanded immediate separation of tribal districts from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They said that merger of former Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the province pushed the region into further backwardness and deepened the sense of deprivation among tribal people.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, the Fata Qaumi Jirga leaders said that the merger was not acceptable to majority of the people. They demanded restoration of the special status of the former Fata.

The elders including Malik Bismillah Jan, Malik Khan Marjan and others said that the law and order in the merged districts were getting worse with each passing day as incidents of terrorism and lawlessness were taking place frequently. They said that government was unable to take practical steps to resolve their issues.

They said that it was duty of the government to take the local people into confidence before taking any step about their future but the rulers never bothered to do so. Had the government taken the people into confidence, the situation would not have been so bad, they added.

The elders said that not a single mega project was initiated in former Fata during the last many years. “No university, college, school, hospital or major road has been built in the region. The schools demolished in the anti-terrorism operation have not been built so far,” they added.

FQJ leaders say law and order getting worse in merged districts

They said that the promises made at the time of merger had not been fulfilled. They said that people were still hoping that government would release the promised funds of Rs110 billion and three per cent share in National Finance Commission award to tribal districts.

The elders said that quota for tribal students in professional colleges, universities and jobs was abolished and non-local people were recruited in the merged districts. They said that the promise of setting up a tax-free zone was also not fulfilled.

They said that they would continue their efforts to restore the previous status of former Fata. They said that they had also filed a case in Supreme Court against merger of Fata with the province. They demanded formation of larger bench to hear the petition as soon as possible to provide justice to tribal people.

The elders also demanded of National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Federal Minister Sajid Hussain Turi to form a parliamentary committee and arrange a meeting of the delegation of Fata Qaumi Jirga with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023