KHAR: Hundreds of tribesmen demonstrated here on Wednesday against the delay in implementation of the reforms in Fata.

The rally was organised by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s local chapter, where besides party activists, people belonging to different walks of life showed up in large numbers.

Holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against FCR and in favour of reforms in Fata, the protesters started marching from different areas of the agency and gathered at the bypass road in Inayat Kallay Bazaar.

PTI local leaders, Gul Zafar Khan, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Usman Mamondzai addressed the protesters, expressing concern over unnecessary delay in implementation of the proposed reforms in Fata despite the fact that Fata Reforms Committee had already submitted its recommendations.

They blamed the federal government for using delaying tactics in execution of the reforms process, saying the tribal people were disappointed over the delay in implementation of the reforms, which envisage merging Fata with KP and replacing the colonial FCR with the country’s regular laws.

The PTI leaders said FCR had ‘usurped’ their rights and ‘hampered’ the region’s development. They pointed out that the people of Fata were also the citizens of Pakistan, but they were kept backward because of FCR. They condemned the JUI-F, PkMAP and certain tribal elders for supporting the FCR and opposing the reforms in the tribal region.

The protesters vowed to intensify their campaign against the FCR across the agency to put pressure on the government to repeal the ‘draconian’ law.

The PTI leaders asked the people and workers of political parties to end their personal differences and play due role in early implementation of the reforms.

During the two hours of protest, the bypass road, one of the busiest arteries in the agency, remained closed to vehicular traffic.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2016