Local workers of Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party (PJDP) with assistance of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) Khyber Agency on Sunday took out a protest rally against merger of FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) here at Bacha Khan Square, Landi Kotal Bazaar.
Dozens of the political volunteers of PJDP and JUI-F were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the merger of Fata into KP and demands of a separate province for the tribesmen.
Speaking on the occasion, the leaders of the both parties including Fata President of PJDP Daulat Khan Afridi, Ameers of JUI-F Landi Kotal and Jamrud Qari Mujahid Ahmad and Ghufranullah Khybari, PJDP Khyber Agency President Kareemullah Shinwari said that in the guise of merger of Fata into KP, an alien agenda was being imposed on the tribesmen but they would utilize every possible option to foil the merger and save the tribal belt from being a victim of a vicious agenda.
"For the last seven decades, the tribesmen have rendered unprecedented sacrifices in order for not to be enslaved under the rule of the province but to win their own entity," they maintained.
The protesters were of the view that Fata abounds in natural resources and the tribesmen were capable enough to run their separate province 'Qabailistan' smoothly and in most befitting way possible and were not ready to be part of the financially unstable province.
They urged the tribesmen to stand up together and jointly raise their voice for their rights as their future would be safe and secure in the province of their own. Time was ripe for the tribesmen to realize their long nurtured dream and secure a separate province for their future generations. The protesters marched to the Landi Kotal Press Club where they dispersed after saying their prayers.