Pakistan responds back hard to the Afghanistan statement over KP - FATA merger
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has responded back hard to the Afghanistan's statement over the merger of the FATA with KP.
Pakistan has turned down Afghanistan's rejection of the merger of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province terming it "interference."
"The decision by the parliament on FATA's merger is in accordance with the will of the people," a spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Office said, adding that Afghanistan not acting on the principles of non-interference is regretful.
Earlier this week, the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan passed a constitutional amendment bill clearing the way for KP-FATA merger.
In the final phase, a session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed the KP-FATA merger bill with two-thirds majority earlier today. <link> <link>
The passage of the bill from the KP Assembly came at a time of Afghanistan National Security Advisor (NSA) Mohammad Hanif Atmar's visit to Pakistan.
Atmar, who will be accompanied by high-level representatives of the Afghan army, is scheduled to meet Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The two sides will discuss regional security and bilateral relations at the meeting.
