PESHAWAR: An ‘All Parties Conference’ organised under the auspices of JUI-F district Swat chapter has rejected the imposition of taxes in the former Federal Administered Tribal Area (Fata) and Provincial Administered Tribal Area (Pata).
According to a joint communiqué released after the moot, the special status of the former Fata/ Pata was abolished with commitments made for the development, employment opportunities and access to justice in the area, but no practical steps were taken in this regard.
The APC said that the inclusion of the hereditary and transferred land in the demarcation of the River Swat by the Irrigation Department is injustice, and demanded a new transparent and impartial survey for the purpose.
The participants of the conference also rejected the injudicious demarcation and occupation of the private properties by the forest department and asked the provincial government to take notice of it and provide justice to them.
They termed the inclusion of agricultural land in Swat Expressway enmity with growers and demanded for identification of substitute route and payment of compensation to the affected people to address their losses.
Similarly, the participants of the APC also called for halt to ‘cruel operation’ launched in the name of the removal of encroachments and called for payment of immediate and full compensation to the affectees.
For promotion of tourism and protection of tourists, the participants called for immediate construction of the protection wall on the banks of the Swat River and construction of roads and added that tax free status of Malakand Division is its constitutional right, so they reject the imposition of any kind of tax in the region.
The participants called for immediate completion of the construction work on Swat Expressway and Kalam Road and announced to join hands with other districts of the region to launch a joint movement against the imposition of taxes.
It condemned terrorism, lawlessness and anarchy in Swat and said that all political and religio-political leadership of Swat demands the establishment of durable peace, justice and supremacy of law.
It expressed deep concern over unscheduled load shedding and called for its immediate abolition, saying that they consider Mines & Mineral Bill a conspiracy to occupy the local resources and announcing strong resistance against it. First right over the mineral resources belongs to the local population and will never accept the monopoly of any external force on them.
It also voiced concern over the growing menace of the use of narcotics and other addictions and called for immediate and complete ban on the use of drugs and particularly ice drug in Swat.
The conference also constituted an implementation committee comprising of the district presidents of political parties to implement the demands of the participants. The committee will hold meetings with political leadership, civil society and religious circles to initiate a collective movement in this regard.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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