KH AR: Speakers at a conference here on Monday asked the federal government to merge tribal areas into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province before the next general elections, and rejected a proposal by some politicians to conduct referendum on the future of Fata.

The roundtable conference `on the future of governance reform in Fata` was organised by Fata Research Centre (FRC), an Islamabadbased non-government organisation, at Bajaur Press Club here.

Political and religious activists, representatives of trade unions, civil society members, journalists, students leaders and tribal elders attended the event in large numbers.

Opening the conference, the organisers highlighted the aims and themes of the event and said the conference was aimed to have the opinion of the people from all walks of life on the proposed reforms in tribal areas.

According to them, the FRC had launched such debates in all the tribal agencies.

Among the speakers were JI local chapter emir Qari Abdul Majeed, chief of Utman Khel tribe Malik Mohammad Akbar, journalist Haji Habibullah Khan Aasi, PTI leader Mambar Khan, PkMAP president Mohammad Asghar Khan, Salarzai tribal elder Malik Dawood Khan Salarzai, ANP leader Shah Naseer Khan, student leader Asadullah Khan, traders association president Haji Akbar Jan, elder of Mamond tribe Malik Haji Gul Zada, and social activist Engr Khaista Mohammad.

Almost all speakers, except PkMAP president andfewtribalelders,termed the merger of Fata with KP necessary for sustainable development and ensuring fundamental rights to the people.They said FCR and absence of constitutional rights were the main hurdles to development of tribal areas.

They rubbished a suggestion to conduct a referendum before implementing the reforms in the tribal areas, saying there was no need of referendum as over 95 per cent people had already given their judgment in favour of merger with KP.

`We strongly reject the proposal of conducting a referendum over the merger of Fata with KP and those who want this are actually trying to make controversial the reforms process,` said Qari Abdul Majeed of JI. He said his party would continue efforts to end differences among political and religious parties over the Fata reforms.

The participants blamed some tribal elders and officials of political administrations for opposing the merger of Fata with KP.

The participants also asked the government to announce local bodies` elections in the tribal areas by the end of current year.

Some elders and representatives of JUI-F and PkMAP on the occasion said merger of Fata with KP was not in the interest of people.

They feared that local customs and tribal traditions would be compromised in the event of Fata being merged with KP.

SHOT DEAD: Attackers shot dead a man in Qazafi area of Utman Khel tehsil on Monday, local people land of ficials said.

They said Irfan Khan, resident of Gardai area, was on way home when gunmen opened fire at him along the main road. He suffered serious injuries and died while being taken to the agency headquarters hospital in Khar.

Soon after the incident, a team of levies force along with administration of ficials reached the site and arrested the two attackers while trying to escape the scene.

Political tehsildar Bakht Jehan said according to his information the motive behind the incident was a loan dispute. He said two gunmen responsible for the killing had been arrested who were identified as Gul Ameen and Mohammad Ameen belonging to Upper Dir.