PESHAWAR, Oct 10 (APP): Jamiat Ulema e Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Monday demanded holding of a referendum onproposal about merger of FATA into KP and allowing the tribesmen to decide future of tribal areas.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday at JUI(F) Secretariat, he asked forgranting Fedrally Administered Tribal
Areas people their constitutional rights prior to the merger.
The JUI F chief said that he opposed the reforms after
discussing them with party leaders keeping in view the interest of the people of FATA. A jirga was convened having representation from all political parties as well as from each agency of FATA, he added.
“The FATA Reforms Package stressed only on merging of FATA in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while we are of the view that first the tribal people should be given their rights,” he reiterated.
Maulana Fazl said that jirgas were convened that had representation of all political parties as well as elected members and elders from each tribal agency were also present.
He said that it was agreed that government would be asked
to accept all demands that could give tribal people their due rights and future would be decided in accordance with their will.
He made it clear that JUI F had been playing its due
role in the fight for rights of the tribesmen and was not against merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that JUI F never wanted to create problems rather
struggled to solve them amicably through dialogue.
He also demanded that census should be conducted in Fata
without further delay and a development package should be announced for the area.
The JUI F chief also came down hard on KP Chief Minister,
Pervez Khattak who accused federal government of reneging on its promises made with him on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
