ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of
the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa met Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl
(JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Parliament House on Tuesday to
discuss the proposed merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The
meeting took place in the prime minister’s chambers, but there was no
official word on it from the Prime Minister’s Office. However, speaking
to reporters afterwards, Maulana Fazl shared some details and said more
meetings were expected to take place over the issue.
The
army chief’s participation in the meeting is being viewed as a
significant development, since most of Fata is being looked after by the
army, especially the areas where military operations are in progress.
Talking
to reporters, Maulana Fazl — whose JUI-F is one of only two parties in
parliament opposing the merger of Fata and KP — said he presented his
party’s stance on the Fata reforms.
He and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief
Mehmood Khan Achakzai are the only two stakeholders who continue to
stonewall efforts to pass fresh legislation to change the status of the
tribal areas.
He said further consultations with the
government would continue over the reforms bill. “However, there will be
no further meeting with the military leadership on the issue,” he
added.
Informing the media about his Monday night meeting
with the prime minister, Safron Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch and
National Security Advisor retired Lt Gen Nasser Janjua, the JUI-F leader
said: “We had a detailed discussion on the matter and decided to
continue our discussions,” he said.
The JUI-F chief said
he met the COAS Gen Bajwa in the prime minister’s chambers after he was
informed that the latter wished to meet him.
“We
presented our stance to them; that they have to obtain the approval of
the JUI-F supreme council on Fata,” he said, adding that PM Abbasi
acceded to his request and had expressed his willingness to meet the
supreme council and try to get them to agree on the matter.
“It is now up to the prime minister when he meets the JUI-F’s supreme council of Fata jirgas,” he said.
Answering
a question, he said the JUI-F was not opposed to Fata reforms, but said
there were some constitutional constraints in the way of the merger,
which should be resolved first. “How can the jurisdiction of the
provincial high court be extended to federal areas?” he asked.
Meanwhile,
the opposition continued to boycott proceedings of the National
Assembly over the inordinate delay in tabling the Fata reforms
legislation.
One by one, Leader of the Opposition in the
National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Sahibzada
Tariqullah, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Sheikh Salahuddin and Awami
National Party’s Ghulam Bilour all protested the way the government had
made a mockery of parliament by first including the bill on the agenda,
and then removing it at the eleventh hour.
Mr Tariqullah
warned that if parliament could not solve the tribesmen’s issues, they
would take to the streets and resort to holding sit-ins to press for
their rights.
After his speech, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq
observed that the draft bill might be tabled before the house on
Wednesday (today), adding that the house might soon get “the good news”.
