Govt asked to merge Fata into KP

JAMRUD/GHALLANAI: The Khyber Siyasi Ittehad on Sunday asked the government to merge the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Khyber Siyasi Ittehad had arranged the jirga in Jamrud that was attended by the representatives of various political parties.Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Zar Noor asked the government to merge Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He urged the government to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).Awami National Party (ANP) leader Muhammad Umar said, "We cannot bear the FCR as it is a draconian law. We demand the government to abolish it and merge Fata into KP."

"We want to be governed under the 1973 Constitution. We will not accept the FCR anymore," Said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Iqbal Khan.He demanded the government to merge Fata into KP before the next general elections and announce the local government election in 2017.

Iqbal Khan added that the tribesmen were Pakistanis and they had the right to demand fundamental rights. Meanwhile, the activists and leaders of political parties on Sunday held protest against the Frontier Crimes Regulation. The protest was organised by Mohmand Siyasi Ittehad. The protesters were chanting slogans against the FCR and asked the government to merge Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the next general election. The protesters also demanded increase in the Fata's share in the National Finance Commission Award. The protesters criticised the Jamait Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl for opposing the merger of Fata with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.