Jamrud – The FATA Loya Jirga elders have made a strong demand to the government to stop the transfer of the region’s quota of National Finance Commission (NFC) funds to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) immediately.
The elders representing the tribal quarters threatened that if the NFC proceeded with awarding FATA to the province, they would not hesitate to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, thereby increasing the stakes in a financial and legal contest over who controls the region’s development.
The joint statement was issued in anticipation of a new NFC meeting that is likely to be conducted on Friday.
President of the Loya Jirga, Bismillah Khan, and other leading elders, such as Malik Khan Marjan, Malik Muhammad Hussain, General Secretary Azam Khan Mehsud, and Vice President Haji Afrasiab Afridi, voiced their apprehension that a decision could be made without their approval concerning the funds of FATA.
The concerted action of these tribal leaders underscores the ingrained suspicion of the process and a strong determination to maintain control over the funds allocated to their region.
Merger Legality Challenged as Funds Remain Sub Judice
The main stance of the Jirga elders is based on a constitutional and legal issue regarding the union of FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to their statement, the merger was a “forced, unconstitutional and undemocratic” process, a question that is before the Supreme Court.
According to the jirga, the funds of FATA should in no way be transferred to the provincial government until the court makes its final decision concerning the legality of the merger. This position turns the financial conflict into a matter of constitutional legitimacy and regional self-determination.
The jirga also proposed a particular solution to the impasse, calling on the federal government to coerce the KP provincial government to open a separate account of the funds of FATA under the Annual Development Program (ADP). The tribal leaders are confident that by segregating these funds, they would be able to make sure that this money is directed solely towards the development of FATA and not to the other projects in the larger province.
Warning of Unrest and a Call for Justice
According to the jirga, any action to advance the transfer of FATA’s financial share contrary to their will or without a defined resolution would result in unrest in the region.
They framed this potential move as contrary to the demands of law and justice and placed their demand not only as a financial act but as a demand of basic human rights and equity to the people of the tribal districts.
