اردو
  • ANP demands immediate merger of FATA with K-P

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    • Published in KP & FATA

    Rejecting the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), the Awami National Party (ANP) has demanded the government immediately merge the tribal region with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

    “Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi should avoid doing politics on petty issues and instead divert his attention towards the actual problems being faced by the country, including implementation of Fata reforms,” said ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan while addressing the launch of Haroonur Rasheed’s book on the life and struggle of late ANP leader from Swat, Muhammad Afzal Khan Lala, at the Bacha Khan Markaz on Sunday.

    He advised the politicians to set aside the Panama Papers for the time being.

    He also asked them to remain silent over allegations of Ayesha Gulalai against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan till the report of the National Assembly’s special committee, formed by the PM, was submitted in the NA Secretariat.

    He advised the new PM to not repeat the mistakes of predecessor Nawaz Sharif, who he said had ignored the whole tribal belt for just two persons. Asfandyar was referring to the alliance of Sharif with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman and Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who oppose the merger of Fata with K-P.

    Asfandyar took the auspicious occasion to ask for the translation of Rasheed’s book on Lala in Urdu, which had been already published in Pashto.

    Eulogising the services of the late party leader Lala, the ANP chief said that his whole life was dedicated to the promotion of democracy, peace and stability in the country.

    “At the time when Swat was under siege, Lala fought and strongly opposed extremists’ ideology in the region,” said Asfandyar, adding that it was Lala whose efforts and struggle brought peace back to Swat.

    About the present political situation of the country, he said that it was beyond his comprehension.

    “The country has become a den of politics of allegation and counter-allegation and abuse that should stop now, if the politicians want to take the country forward,” he added.

    Criticising the K-P government for its failure in protecting the interests of the province, the ANP leader claimed, “We had secured autonomy and rights of K-P under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.”

    He blamed the K-P government for wasting time on politics over Panama Papers “when steps should have been taken to secure the rights of the province by releasing the tribal areas from the British-made draconian laws”.

    ANP Central Vice President Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, ANP Provincial President Amir Haider Khan Hoti, general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain and other senior party leaders and workers were also present on the occasion.