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Jamaat-i-Islami rejects `mainstreaming` of tribal areas

Bureau Report 2017-03-13
PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami has rejected government`s plan of mainstreaming Federally Administered Tribal Areas and asked it to remove all doubts by clearly merging tribal regions with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, JI provincialchief MushtaqAhmadKhan threatened to launch a fresh drive for acceptance of their demands.

He said that the federal government`s plan of Fata reforms had created doubts in the mind of people as it was replete with contradictions. He said that JI would convene a multi-party conference to muster support of politicians and civil society organisations for merger of Fata with the province.`JI will take the issue of Fata to a logical conclusion and will not believe in hollow slogans of the government,` said Mr Khan.

He added that government could not deceive people through vague announcement about Fata reforms.

He said that Fata reforms process was initiated after a long struggle of different political parties, civil society organisations and lawyers. He added that any negligence by government could push the people towards darkness.

Flanked by JI Fata emir Sardar Khan, Shah Jahan Afridi and JI provincial deputy general secretary Advocate Bahrullah, Mr Khan said that his party would present 11-point charter of demands to federal government for solution to the basic problems of tribal people.

About JI`s charter of demands, he said that his party rejected the word mainstreaming in the 24-point reforms plan ofgovernment and demanded unambiguous merger. He said that JI also opposed empowering governor and wanted that all the stakeholders should be taken on board in decision making.

`Both governor and chief minister should jointly preside over meetings regarding Fata issues by lessening role of bureaucracy,` said the JI leader.

He said that some people, who were opposed to Fata reforms, were making efforts to keep FCR intact and continue exploitation of tribal people. He said that educational institutions and healthcare centres were not mentioned in the reforms package.

Mr Khan said that government should allocate Rs1000 billion for establishment of women university, medical college, construction of roads and rehabilitation of infrastructure in Fata as three per cent share in NFC would be insufficient for it.He said that government delayed rehabilitation of internally displaced persons that added to their miseries. He said that displaced tribal people should be sent back to their homes before April 30.

He said that development of Fata was impossible without holding local government elections in all tribal regions. He said that funds should be properly audited to stop corruption.

The JI leader asked government to take effective steps for empowering youth and women in Fata and establish sports complexes to bring the backwards areas at par with the developed ones.

Mr Khan said that census should be held in Fata only after rehabilitation of the displaced people to ensure proper data for obtaining sufficient uplift funds.

He asked JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to review his stand about Fata and accept opinion of majority of the people.