KHYBER: The supreme council of Fata Loya Jirga (FLJ) on Thursday announced province-wide protest demonstrations against the imposition of taxes by federal government in merged districts and Malakand division.

In a meeting held in Jamrud with its chairman Bismillah Khan in the chair, FLJ pledged to resist the tax regime in merged districts as a civil case against merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was pending before Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The meeting through unanimous resolutions contended that no new taxes could be imposed in merged districts till the disposal of the case against the merger.

The meeting, which was also attended by FLJ leaders from Waziristan, Bajaur, Momand, Orakzai, Kurram and former frontier regions, demanded of the federal government to prioritise the development of education, health and employment sectors along with immediate provision of basic facilities of life to the people of erstwhile Fata instead of burdening them with additional taxes.

Swat MPC, demonstrators in Shangla ask govt to withdraw its decision

The meeting cautioned that a series of protest demonstrations would be started in all the merged districts on July 12 if government failed to take back its decision about taxes.

In Swat, the participants of a multi-party conference (MPC) on Thursday asked the government to do away with its plan to impose taxes in Malakand division.

Local leaders of various political parties, elected public representatives, lawyers, traders, civil society organisations and people from various walks of life attended the conference.

The participants described Malakand division as an underdeveloped region that suffered from decades of terrorism, displacement, economic hardship and inadequate development.

They argued that the government should first address the region’s economic, industrial, commercial and infrastructural challenges, create employment opportunities and fulfil its long-standing development commitments before considering the imposition of any new taxes.

They pledged to continue a joint struggle to safeguard the constitutional, legal, democratic and economic rights of locals. They said that if the government failed to respond to their demands, all political parties would, after mutual consultation, launch a peaceful, constitutional and democratic protest movement.

In Shangla, people blocked Puran-Martung Road the other day to protest enforcement of taxes in Malakand division.

The demonstration was organised on the call of civil society members. Carrying placards and chanting slogans against the imposition of taxes, protesters marched through the area.

Shahzad Khan, Ghairat Khan Yousafzai, Rehmanullah Khan, Karimullah Khan, Fakhar Alam Khan, Dr Mohammad Abid, Dayan Ghaffar, Noor Mohammad, Afsarul Mulk, Hayat Khan, Ayub Khan, Nasir Khan, Izharullah and Pir Mohammad Khan addressed the protesters.

They said that special constitutional and historical status of the region should be respected. They added that the merger agreement between the former princely State of Swat and Pakistan in 1969 guaranteed special protection to the region.

They vowed to continue a peaceful campaign for the protection of the region’s constitutional and legal rights. They warned that the anti-tax movement would be expanded across Malakand division if the taxes were not withdrawn. They added that future phases of protest campaign would be announced soon.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2026