PESHAWAR - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial leader hailing from Khyber Agency and Honorary Consul General of Japan in Peshawar, Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi, has said that the tribesmen will strongly resist the move to merge FATA in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and called upon the government to refrain from taking unviable steps to deprive the already deprived tribal people from their legitimate right.
He stressed that the FATA should accept as separate entity rather unified with settled areas. He was talking to a group of journalists here at Honorary Consulate of Japan on Wednesday, said that the idea of unification of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was totally unreasonable and against the aspirations of the tribal society.
“Tribal people would take to streets to resist unification idea of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government with settled areas, he informed, adding that a hold long march to federal capital to press the government to make FATA as “Qabalistan” and, Fazal Karim said. He said that it was essence of democracy to respect views and aspirations of everyone.
He further maintained that tribal people would have no desire to demise their traditional, culture values nurturing under the tribal society by the merging of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Tribal people want a separate status to their area, and they will never compromise on creation of “Qabalistan”, he determined.
Afridi viewed that the tribal people had rendered enormous sacrifices for protection of borders of the state, and extended their support in every difficult situation confronted the country. He said, that the economic, education activities had adversely affected, whereas thousands were deprived from education and health facilities due to prevailing military action in tribal region.
He demanded of the government to immediate stop ongoing so-called security forces operations in different tribal agencies.
The PTI provincial leader also demanded immediate halt to the secret CIA-supported drone attacks on FATA, and opposed that the opening of NATO supply route to the US-alliance troops to Afghanistan.
Regarding the extension of Political Parties Act to FATA, and amendments in Frontier Crime Regulation Act, he said that the steps were not sufficient to mitigate the suffering of tribal people, demanded that the FATA should be given a separate status as “Qabalistan” to address all kind of issues. He also informed that the tribal elders, along with members of civil society and others would hold a long march to Islamabad very soon in this regard.