KHYBER: Qabayal Tahaffuz Movement (QTM), a forum of anti-merger voices, has demanded carving out a separate province for the seven tribal regions to ‘secure the rights of the tribesmen’.

       Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Press Club on Saturday, QTM central president Abu Safiyan Mehsud, chief coordinator Afrasiyab Afridi, senior vice-president Sardar Asghar Afridi and general secretary Daud Khan declared that the merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was done in haste and without taking into account the opinion of a majority of the population.

       They said a peaceful tribal region guaranteed development of Pakistan. However, they insisted the region’s merger had deprived the tribesmen of their natural resources and usurped their constitutional rights as their opinion was not sought in determining the future status of their region.

       The QTM leaders alleged that people of these areas were defrauded in the name of merger as there was no mention of merger in the report submitted by the Sartaj Aziz Reforms Commission.

       They said the government deliberately kept the option of a separate province secret even though it was proposed in the Sartaj Aziz report, thus denying the tribesmen their legitimate and constitutional right to decide about the future of their area.

       They said the main purpose of creation of QTM was to unite the tribesmen for winning their constitutional rights.

       They said a jirga would be convened in Peshawar on August 26 under the banner of QTM to evolve a future line of action.

       Published in Dawn, August 15th , 2021