ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to launch a “historical movement” for the implementation of the Fata reforms package that includes merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), but modalities of the protest and its final date will be announced later.

The decision was made at a meeting of the party’s core committee presided over by PTI chairman Imran Khan on Saturday.

Talking to Dawn after the meeting, PTI’s information secretary and MNA Shafqat Mehmood said the party had “in principle” decided to start a protest movement to put pressure on the government for the implementation of the Fata reforms package. He accused the government of committing excesses against the tribal people by not granting them the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution and being enjoyed by the people of other parts of the country.

Mr Mehmood said it appeared as if the government had taken a U-turn on the issue of the merger because of political expediencies and such an act was “condemnable”.

Accuses the government of committing excesses against tribal people by not granting them fundamental rights

In reply to a question, he said his party would soon finalise the modalities of the protest and there was a possibility that they might give a call to the people of tribal areas to stage a rally from Fata to Islamabad.

A senior PTI leader said the party leadership was of the view that war-torn Fata needed development and reconstruction which was not possible without its merger with KP. He said the party believed that if they failed to merge Fata with KP now then it would only be possible in 2023 and it would be too late by that time.

The party’s legal team also gave a briefing to the party leadership on various aspects of the Supreme Court’s decision of shelving the Hudaibya Paper Mills case against members of the Sharif family. The PTI has decided to keep the Hudaibya case alive and launch a campaign for creating awareness among the masses about the issue.

Mr Mehmood said the PTI had already constituted a five-member committee under Shah Mehmood Qureshi to decide the future course of action in this regard. He, however, said they had been waiting for the detailed judgment of the court.

The leadership also decided that a party delegation under Shah Mehmood Qureshi would attend the multi-party conference convened by Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Dec 30.

The meeting was also attended by former secretary general Jahangir Tareen who had resigned from the party office following his disqualification by the Supreme Court for hiding his assets abroad.

The PTI chairman had already hinted at launching a protest movement for implementation of the reforms package while addressing the “Fata Youth Convention” in Islamabad earlier this month.

Mr Khan had threatened to hold a march on Islamabad if the government did not take any positive step towards merger of Fata with KP during the NA session — that had ended last week.

He had stated that the PTI wanted to see the merger of Fata with KP taking place before 2018 general elections as a further delay in this regard could provide another opportunity to the terrorists to get hold of the area.

Last week, the government had adjourned the National Assembly session sine die without presenting the bill seeking extension of the high court and the Supreme Court to the tribal areas as a first step towards the implementation of the Fata reforms package.

In March, the federal cabinet under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had approved a set of steps to be taken for the proposed merger of Fata with KP and a 10-year reform package to bring the tribal region on a par with other developing areas of the country.

Later in May, the government convened a special session of the National Assembly for presentation of three bills, including a constitution amendment bill that had been drafted in the light of the recommendations of the Fata reforms committee.

The government, however, tabled the amendment bill required for declaring Fata a part of KP and the Tribal Areas Rewaj Bill, 2017, but he did not move the bill seeking extension of the jurisdiction of the Peshawar High Court and the Supreme Court to Fata without any explanation.

Later, the reforms were hit a snag when the then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, directed the government to hold back the legislation due to the opposition by the allies.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2017