PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-i-Islami will begin a protest movement across Fata on July 20 to press the federal government for abolishing the Frontier Crimes Regulation and merger of the tribal region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing a news conference here at the party`s provincial headquarters on Monday, JI chief Sirajul Haq said the people of Fata had been exploited since the country`s creation. He said the people of Fata were being declared patriotic Pakistanis but nobody was ready to give them due rights.

The JI chief said the federal government was using delaying tactics for the implementation of recommendations of the Sartaj Aziz-led committee on Fata reforms.He said the committee compiled its report after holding consultations with over 7,000 elders and representatives of civil society groups from Fata.

`We have planned to start protest movement against the FCR from July 20. Under the plans, protest meetings andrallies will be organisedin administrative headquarters of all tribal agencies and tehsil headquarters,` he said.

Mr Siraj said the second phase of the movement would start on August 10 when his party and likeminded political parties would hold big public meetings for the abolition of FCR and merger of Fata with KP. He said if the federal government didn`t introduce reforms in Fata in light of the Sartaj Aziz committee`s report, his party would take up issue in both houses of parliament.

The JI chief said his party would mobilise tribal people for reforms and that a jirga consisting of tribesmenwould meet KP Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra on it.

He said the Jamaat would constitute delegations to inform human rights organisations about the plight of tribal people.

He demanded representation for Fata people in KP Assembly through the 2018 general elections.

Expressing concern about the delay in the repatriation of internally displaced persons to Fata, Mr Siraj said the federal government had announced the return of all IDPs to their homes by Dec 2016 but the date was later revised to April 2017.

He claimed that around one million displaced persons still waited for the return to their native lands.

`The pace of the IDPs`rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure in Fata is very slow to the misery of displaced persons,` he said.