KHYBER: Fata Loya Jirga (FLJ) on Wednesday announced to observe ‘black day’ on May 31 against what it called ‘forced merger’ of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing a news conference at the District Press Club, Landi Kotal, the FLJ chairman Khan Mar Jan, president Bismillah Khan and general secretary Azam Kham Mehsud said that the historic, constitutional and traditional status of the erstwhile Fata was undermined through the abrupt passage of the 25th Constitutional Amendment in May 2018, while ‘ignoring’ the opinion of the majority of the tribesmen.

They alleged that the 25th Amendment was passed at the behest of some powerful foreign states. They said that people of merged districts were still deprived of basic facilities of health, education, employment and justice system, while the Supreme Court of Pakistan too was reluctant to hear legitimate appeals against the 25th amendment.

Demanding a comprehensive development package for the merged districts, they called upon the federal and provincial governments to set up universities, nursing colleges and technical education centres in all seven merged districts, and also create job opportunities for educated youth and skilled tribesmen.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026