ISLAMABAD – The federal government is now mulling over bringing apresidential order for the merger of FATA with KP.
The issue was discussed in detail during the weekly cabinet meetingpresided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday.
A day earlier, the PM held a meeting with parliamentary leaders in a bid toforge consensus on Fata reforms. While mainstream political parties,including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Peoples Party,strongly support Fata’s merger with K-P, smaller political groups like theJamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl and the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami party oppose it.
During the cabinet meeting, the PM was of the view that the governmentshould move to bring a presidential order, to be promulgated by thepresident of Pakistan, on the advice of the PM for Fata’s merger with K-P,according to official sources.
Reportedly, the majority of cabinet members supported this proposal,maintaining that the presidential order was the only viable option in thepresent circumstances.