ISLAMABAD, De 10 (TNS): Imran Khan warned on Saturday that his party will hold protests throughout the country from December 11 if Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is not made part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Addressing FATA Youth Convention at convention centre here on Saturday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman expressed his concerns saying that the people of tribal areas have accepted Pakistan, however, it hasn’t been vice versa.
He mentioned that most people in the country are unaware of the sacrifices of the people from FATA, recalling the terrible time post-9/11.
Imran said he stands by the people of FATA and demanded the government of merging the region in KP before 2018 general elections. He gave the example of the merger of east and West Germany and assured the provision of basic rights to the tribes. He told that the FATA was one of the most peaceful regions in the country. “The law of Pakistan was enforced in FATA only after 1974 and the system couldn’t serve justice to them,” he said.
“The tribal people sacrificed their lives in Kashmir. They had decided to annex with Pakistan in 1948.”
“The government is using delaying tactics,” the PTI chief said. “If the merger does not take place now, then it will not happen [any time] before 2030.”
Imran also alleged corruption in the FATA Secretariat, saying it is a hub of illegal practices under which even the political agent’s seat is sold. He added residents of Fata are peaceful people, but people restored to crime when there was lack of justice. The tribal people should have been given better facilities, Imran further said.
He demanded of closing the secretariat so that people can take decisions for themselves. “Bureaucracy only comes into FATA to earn money,” he claimed.
Imran Khan told that he wished to establish cricket stadium in FATA so that the young talent can be promoted. He told that there was no justice in East Pakistan for which they choose to establish a separate country.
