Barrister Gohar: Amir Muqam’s Committee Interferes with KP’s Authority
Sheikh Waqas Akram: FATA People Will Not Accept Federal Interference
Iqbal Afridi: Taxes Imposed on FATA Without Giving Due Funds
TP News
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have said that we demand from the federal government that the committee formed for FATA under the convenorship of Amir Muqam be dissolved, forming the committee is tantamount to the interference of the federation in the province.
Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Barrister Gohar, while holding a press conference along with former Governor KP Shah Farman, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Iqbal Afridi and others, said that the tribal areas have always been sensitive, after the 25th Amendment, the tribal areas were merged with the province, Amir Muqam was elected as the convener of a committee for FATA. He said that today was the second meeting but our FATA representatives did not attend, 14 out of seventeen MPAs are from PTI, none of our representatives went to the committee because we believe that our rights are being taken away.
Barrister Gohar said that there are committees of Saffron of the Senate and the National Assembly, but nothing has ever been done for FATA in any meeting. We demand from the federal government that the committee formed under the convenorship of Amir Muqam should be dissolved. The Chairman PTI said that we demand from the federal government that the committee should be abolished, forming a committee is tantamount to the interference of the federation in the province.
Former Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman said that while separating FATA, it was decided that funds would be given through public representatives, FATA MNAs could vote for the entire country but could not do so for FATA. He said that a bill was presented and passed to give rights to FATA representatives, the FCR law will be raised again, and the privileges of the settlement area will be renewed.
Shah Farman said that they are creating a drama with the outside world for the Mines and Minerals Bill, the federal government cannot interfere in the affairs of the provincial government, nor do the provincial government and the assembly members give them the right to interfere and change the status of the tribal areas. He said that we boycott government committees and reject them.
Iqbal Afridi said that the principle of the world is to first give funds and then take taxes, in FATA taxes are being levied first and funds are being deprived. He said that I am a member of the SAFRON committee, these issues have never come up in the meeting, the status of the tribal areas of FATA is being changed, the federal government has no right to interfere in provincial matters.
Sheikh Waqas Akram said that consultation is an excuse, FATA is the target, we will resist and will not let FATA go, the jirga has already been formed, what other jirga should be formed? He said that the people of FATA and KP know how to make their own decisions, the committee formed against the constitutional authority must be abolished. He said that more than seven hundred billion rupees are to be given to FATA, and now there are three years left, the federal government is indebted to FATA to give FATA money. Sheikh Waqas Akram said that two number committees will be formed and FATA representatives will not accept this.
