Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: A large number of ex-Fata elders, Maliks, and tribal youth participated in the anti-Fata merger grand jirga held at Tatara Park in Hayatabad in Peshawar on Thursday.
More than hundreds of tribal maliks, tribal elders, retired civil and military officials, social activists, students, and tribal residents participated in the grand Jirga.
They were holding black flags and banners inscribed with slogans that they would not accept the Fata merger and that they wanted to restore their centuries-old tradition and norms.
They also constituted a committee from all tribes of the erstwhile Fata districts and Frontier Regions (FRs).
Speaking on the occasion, Malik Khan Marjan from Waziristan said that he and other tribals would talk to the people (the Taliban) in the mountains for peace. He said they want their own old Fata system with some amendments to the laws. He said the tribals were peace-loving people and demanded help from Pakistan in restoring peace.
Marjan said Pakistan and its people were their beloved, and they expect the same from Pakistan.
“I accept responsibility for talking to the people (Taliban) in the mountains and persuading them to support peace in the country,” Malik Khan Marjan said.
He appealed to Corps Commander Peshawar to take serious steps for peace in tribal districts.
He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister swallowed tribal funds. He said Chief Minister Mehmood Khan was not sincere with the tribals.
Malik Bismillah Afridi said that the Fata merger was a foreign agenda fulfilled by a sect of people. He said they had challenged the decision and the case was underway in the Supreme Court. He said the court had to constitute a larger bench, but yet they have not proceeded on the case.
He said Chief Minister Mehmood Khan hired hundreds of non-locals in tribal areas in various departments. He claimed that the current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has broken corruption records.
The committee, led by Brig. (R) Sayed Nazir Mohmand, consisted of Sher Muhammad Khan, Jafar Adamkhel, Advocate Anwarullah, Rahat Afridi, Shakir Adamkhel, and Malik Shakeel Okay. They decided to hold a protest on January 10.
