PESHAWAR/NOWSHERA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said the government should honour its commitments with the tribal people and release all missing persons forthwith.

Talking to media after attending a meeting of the Fata Supreme Council in the provincial capital on Friday, he said the government should not delay the release of missing persons.

He said members of the council had also demanded the immediate release of the missing persons.

Demands meeting of apex committee for Fata peace

The Pakhtun Long March had staged a sit-in in Islamabad in Feb for the release of missing persons allegedly held by different law-enforcement agencies.

The government had released some missing persons leaving most of them missing.

Mr Fazl suggested that federal government call a meeting of the Apex Committee to hold discussion on prevailing situation in Fata and work out a strategy for sustainable peace in the militancy-affected region.

He said members of the Supreme Council complained about the ill-treatment meted out to the local people at various check posts in Fata.

The JUI-F chief said elders demanded the abolition of unnecessary check posts in tribal areas as the people faced inconvenience.

He said the government should reconstruct all damaged seminaries and schools in tribal agencies.

He proposed the inclusion of Fata in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project to give the maximum benefits to the tribal people.

Mr Fazl said Malala Yousafzai was the daughter of the soil and her homecoming was a good sign.

He termed the meeting between the Supreme Court chief justice and prime minister a good omen for the nation.

The JUI chief urged the federal government to provide the annual financial package to the tribal areas.

He said the government should give priority to the development of health and education sectors.

JUI TO QUIT FEDERAL GOVT: JUI-F leader Maulana Attaur Rehman on Friday claimed that his party would soon part ways with the federal government as the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was revived and had become a strong political power in the country.

Addressing a party gathering in Nowshera Kalan in Nowshera district, the JUI-F leader said Jamaat-i-Islami and his party, the members of the MMA, would decide about tendering resignations from the provincial and federal governments.

He said no one would be allowed to derail democracy in the country as the worst kind of democracy was better than dictatorship.

He warned that the consequences would be bitter if democracy was derailed.

The JUI leader said different people and political parties had submitted complaints about the fresh constituency delimitation and deciding them all seemed to be impossible ahead of the imminent elections.

He however said the JUI-F won’t accept delay in elections.

Maulana Atta said the MMA would bring all religious parties and groups to one platform to play an active role against terrorism and extremism in the country.

He said the JUI-F was fighting international conspiracies hatched against Islamic world.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2018