PESHAWAR: Awami National PartyWali chairperson Begum Nasim Wali Khan on Wednesday said the government shouldn`t decide about the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without consulting the people.

Begum Nasim told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club that the government should ask the people of Fata if they wanted a separate province for themselves or support the ideaof their region`s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Accompanied by party`s central senior vice president Nawabzada Mohsin Ali Khan, acting provincial president Pir Fayyaz, general secretary Amanullah Khan, the ANP-W leader said thousands of people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata had laid down lives for their motherland but their families didn`t get the government`s proper attention. She appreciated the government`s efforts for the restoration of peace and saidthe drastic steps should be taken to steer the country out of economic crisisforprogress and prosperity.

Begum Nasim said the army chief`s continuous support would supplement the efforts of the democratic government for restoration of peace.

She said Palcistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was an inexperienced politician, so his political moves in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lacked maturity.

The ANP-W leader said corruption had weakened the foundations of all government departments and that there was a dire need to effectively crack down on the menace. She offered herselffor accountability and said she would quit politics if corruption of a single penny was proved against her.

Begum Nasim said her party was not a splinter group of the ANP and instead, it was a `big` party duly registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

She said her party would soon get election symbol.

`The Asfandyar Wali-led ANP doesn`t represent Bacha Khan and Wali Khan as its leaders face corruption charges,` she said.

Begum Nasim congratulated the Pakistan People`s Party for winning by-election in PK-93 Dir constituency.

She condoled deaths of pilgrims in Makkah crane crash and observed one-minute silent to remember them and victims of terrorism.