Jamaat e Islami welcomes merger of FATA with Khyber Pk

Lahore : While welcoming the Federal Cabinet decision for the merger of the FATA with Khyber Pk Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq, has however stressed that the process should be completed before the 2018 elections and not delayed for another five years.

In a statement here on Thursday, he said that the Cabinet decision for the merger in principle and the phased abolition of the FCR, a colonial era legacy, was the victory of the tribal people and they must be congratulated for that.

Sirajul Haq said that the six member FATA Reforms Parliamentary committee headed by Sartaj Aziz had held detailed discussions with the tribal elders and political leaders on the future set up of FATA.

The committee, in its report, had stated that the tribal area people wanted immediate merger of FATA with Khyber P. and the abolition of the notorious FCR. However, he said that instead of taking a final decision, the Federal Cabinet had kept the merger pending for another five years.

The JI chief said that the people of the tribal areas had waged a prolonged fight for the end of the cruel FCR during the last seventy years. The JI leaders in FATA had offered huge sacrifices for the rights of the tribal people and even suffered detentions.

He said the tribal area covering 27000 KM, and having a population of around ten million had been practically a prison and there was none to raise voice for their rights of these people. He said that the self centered leaders had protected the FCR for such a long time only to serve their personal interests. However, he said, the young generation in the tribal areas was not ready to tolerate the old,rotten system and law.

Sirajul Haq said the FATA Reforms committee had correctly understood the sentiments of the tribal people and its report was in line the wishes of the people.