President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said that in accordance to the demand of local people the merger of FATA and PATA with KP is a bold and marvellous step of civil and military leadership, which will help resolution of problems of the area and residents thereof.
The veteran businessman while talking to the business community said with eradication of frontier crime regulations (FCR) the locals will enjoy the benefits of true freedom and will be able to actively participate in the economic and social growth of area in particular and the Country in general. It is the end of a cruel era being faced by the tribal population in term of difference in rules and regulations.
The former minister said the tribal area and its population are blessed with various resources which will now become a part of the national growth. The population of more than five crore settled in seven agencies and six regions will take the national economy to new limits through their active participation in trade, industry and other economic activities. Thousand Billion rupees will be allocated to be used in the areas for development within 10 years. Tax amnesty will be available for five more years to come.
FATA has been the centre of terrorism due to distance from its managerial centre Peshawar and close with the boarder of Afghanistan, which has fought back with sacrifices of millions of military men and civilians. Now peace has restored by the grace of Almighty and it is the right time to say bye to the FCR and cruel laws of tribal areas. 12 seats of National Assembly will be reduced after abolishing FATA’s seats, while KP assembly seats will be increased by 21 seats and senate seats will be reduced by 8; abolished after FATA’s merger. Rs. 100 Bn will be allocated in addition to Rs. 24 Bn in NFC awards, he added.
Mian Zahid Hussain said reconstruction of FATA and PATA is in progress. The Military establishment with the support of public private partnership is developing the area in accordance to modern day need of infrastructure development, roads, hospitals, colleges, business and trade centres are under construction. The business community should actively support the cause of promoting FATA and invest in the tribal area to utilize the area’s resources to its fullest potential. He congratulated civil / military establishment and leadership on the rightly merger of FATA with KP and expected that this merger will bring prosperity in the Country and will endure the peace process in the area. He also congratulated people of the tribal areas on this long demanded merger of all federally administered tribal areas to Khyber Pukhtunkhwan province.