DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamiat Ulema-i-IslamFazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has claimed that the government is essentially run by the establishment and public representatives are not the true rulers.

He made the remarks while speaking to mediapersons at his residence after attending a tribal jirga here on Saturday.

Mr Rehman called the government`s decision to merge the erstwhile tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a mistake. He said that the promised allocation of Rs100 billion to merged districts had not been fulfilled for over nine years as the region had received only Rs75 billion so far.

He expressed his concern about a potential geopolitical conspiracy, warning that the region might be subjected to territorial changes. Drawing parallels with the past, he suggested that the current situation resembled the attitude adopted towards Bangladesh before its separation. `I fear that geographical changes are being orchestrated in this region,` he said.

Referring to numerous military operations in the tribal districts, Mr Rehman argued that these efforts had not resulted in lasting peace. He noted that tribal areas, which enjoyed exemplary peace for decades, were now plagued with unrest and insecurity.

The JUI-F chief also raised alarm about the deteriorating law and order situation in districts adjacent to the tribal region, such as Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Bannu, where people were being forced to migrate due to worsening conditions. He lamented that neither daily life nor educational institutions could function normally in these areas.

`Government and state representatives often engage in discussions with tribal elders, but there has been no progress,` he said, adding that even settled areas are no longer safe.