PJDP demands Fata province

By Ashrafuddin Pirzada              

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of tribal elders on Thursday met with the former Chief Justice and Pakistan Justice Democratic and Party (PJDP) president Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry at his residence in Islamabad and decided to demand a separate province for Fata people.

The delegation, led by PJDP Fata president Daulat Shah Afridi, met with the former Chief Justice of Pakistan and held talks on the burning issue of Fata reforms. Tribal elders Haji Afsari Khan Mohmand, Karimullah Shinwari and Younis Khan Shinwari were among the delegation members who attended the meeting. Senior Supreme Court lawyers advocate Sheikh Ihsanuddin and advocate Noor Alam Khan were also present in the meeting.

Talking to The News PJDP president Iftikhar Muhmmad Chaudhry said that they discussed various aspects of Fata people. He said after the thorough discussion with party leaders and law experts they decided that it would be better to give a separate province to tribal people.

“We will file a petition in Supreme Court in few days to pursue a case for an independent province for Fata people”, said the former Chief Justice of Pakistan. He added that merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa   would further increase their miseries. Iftikhar said article-1 of the constitution of Pakistan says that Fata is an independent unit being deal with Frontier Crimes Regulations.

He said it was legally not possible to merge Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without bringing changes in the constitution of Pakistan.  He added that acritical 37 and sub-article 28 say that first to create facilities and indigenous resources before being merged with a big population which has also various problems and lack of resources.

“Contrary to political and basic human rights the government and some of the political parties for political scoring are demanding Fata merger without conducting referendum on the subject that what tribal people want”, Chaudhry Iftikhar said.

Chaudhry Iftikhar said tribal people rendered enormous sacrifices for the sake of Pakistan. He said if any step taken against the constitution of Pakistan the results would be in negative. He said PJDP has decided to take up the Fata issue at Supreme Court and would also launch their political campaign.

He told the tribal elders and PJDP Fata leaders that they would soon visit every tribal agencies and arrange protest demonstration against the Fata merger.

Daulat Shah Afridi  said they have called a meeting of their party workers and leaders in Khyber Agency to put pressure over the government not take any step against the aspiration of 10 million tribal people.