PESHAWAR : Police on Sunday resorted to heavy teargas shelling andbaton-charge to disperse workers of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F)gathered outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to protest against the mergerof the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with the province.
The area outside the assembly virtually turned into a battleground betweena heavy contingent of police and protesters who tried to enter the assemblyto disrupt the session called to pass a constitutional amendment for themerger of Fata with KP.
Protesters also attempted to lock and climb the assembly gate. However, thepolice personnel present inside and outside the assembly foiled their bid.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has summoned the session of provincial assemblyto vote for the Constitution (Thirty-First Amendment) Bill — also known asthe Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Reforms Bill, 2018.
JUI-F had earlier announced to stage protest to sabotage voting on the billthat erases the colonial-era division between the tribal regions and theprovince.
Both the houses of the Parliament have already passed the bill with twothird majority for merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After the provincial assembly’s approval the landmark bill will bring thetribal borderlands, comprising seven agencies and six Frontier Regions, tothe mainstream and will be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Tribal peoplewill get representation in the KP Assembly through the amendment