ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (TNS): Jamiat-e-Ulema-e Islam (JUI(F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded the holding of a referendum in FATA to know whether the people of the areas’ want merger with Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa or to make a separate province.
Speaking in the National Assembly Wednesday, the Maulana said that there is no dispute over the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and they also do not want a separate province but they only demand that the people of FATA be given the chance to decide their future.
He said that Rawaj act was presented in the House for extending the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and high court in FATA and only they (JUI) had opposed it. He said now everyone is saying that the RAWAJ Act was not appropriate because there are no lower courts. He said the FATA reforms committee had reported that Rs 90 billion would be spent in FATA on development schemes and in such a situation there was no hurry to merge the area and asserted for implementation of the decision in a phased manner.
The JUI (F) chief took exception to the protest organised by some political parties by bringing their workers in Islamabad describing them tribal people in support of the merger. He told them to come to the Youth Convention in Peshawar to be held after two days which will be attended by people of FATA. He said days have gone when decisions were taken by sitting in Palaces.
