KHYBER: The Fata Qaumi Jirga (FQJ) on Saturday announced the formation of a 48-member committee to bolster their campaign against the 2018 Fata-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger in all seven tribal districts and six former Frontier Regions.

The development came during a FQJ meeting held in the Jamrud area here with Malik Bismillah Khan in the chair. Elders from tribal districts and Frontier Regions showed up in large numbers.

Mr Bismillah said that people in tribal districts knew of the failure of the move to merge Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 and that they’re upset by the federal government’s failure to fulfil commitments regarding the tribal region’s development.

He insisted that while the federal government failed to execute major development projects in any of tribal districts through the timely provision of promised funds, the region had plunged into complete administrative chaos amid worsening law and order situation.

“People of the tribal region have realised that the merger plan was ill-conceived, while most stakeholders weren’t taken into confidence by authorities at the time of the passage of 25th Constitutional Amendment, leaving the region with a plethora of legal, security and political issues,” he said.

The FQJ leader said that the newly-formed committee consisting of three representatives from every tribal district would make frequent contacts with all stakeholders in the region and provide impetus to the anti-merger campaign among disheartened tribesmen.

He said that the FQJ was the main motivating force behind keeping the anti-merger campaign alive on both political and legal fronts as they had also challenged the 25th Constitutional Amendment in the Supreme Court.

OATH-TAKING CEREMONY: Adviser to the chief minister on communication and development Suhail Afridi has said that journalists in Khyber tribal district have successfully highlighted the region’s issues despite facing a very hostile and challenging environment.

During the oath-taking ceremony for the newly-elected cabinet of Jamrud Press Club the other day, Mr Afridi said that corruption and other ills could be wiped out from the region if journalists performed their responsibilities honestly and professionally.

He said that honest and sincere journalists could play the role of a bridge between the government and ordinary citizens.

The aide to the CM announced a donation of Rs200,000 for the press club. The ceremony was attended by local elders, members of the local traders association and civil society, political activists, and members of the newly-elected cabinet.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025