Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), has questioned reported proposals to reverse FATA's merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that the region's resources and economy are now the central issue. He claimed senior government figures had directly told him the merger was a mistake and expressed a desire to restore the tribal areas' former federal status.
In his address, Rehman described the country and its land as a blessing from Allah and a trust held by the nation. Such a trust, he said, required honesty and a commitment to protecting the land and working for its prosperity and development.
He criticised what he called the long-standing treatment of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas as an experimental ground, saying attempts were again being made to return them to their previous position. His party had always maintained a political view on the issue, he said, and wanted that view judged through reasoned debate.
"We speak with reason, and we are Pakistanis; we are sons of this region," Rehman said. According to him, the government and state have a duty to answer citizens' doubts and questions and reassure them, rather than let political debate descend into accusations and character assassination.
Discussing alleged proposals to undo the merger, Rehman claimed senior government personalities had told him directly that the merger of FATA was the wrong decision. He further said those running the system had told him they wanted the merger reversed and the former status restored. These are attributed assertions, not confirmation of a new constitutional or government decision.
The JUI-F chief recalled that his party had faced accusations when it questioned the original merger, without receiving answers. He asked which major power had influenced the original merger and whose interests would now be served by returning the areas to federal administration. Denouncing what he described as a "servile mindset", he accused those responsible of "selling out your own nation". These references to outside powers are his political allegations.
Rehman said the original debate had concerned the political and constitutional future of FATA's people, and that his party had argued the circumstances were not yet suitable for such a decision. Instead of accepting disagreement as legitimate, he said, critics were subjected to personal attacks.
Turning to administration, Rehman said that, in what he described as almost ten years since the amendment and merger, a settled land and revenue system had still not been established, land-record personnel had not been able to operate effectively and the law remained inadequately implemented. He also cited the unresolved division of properties collectively owned by tribes for six or seven generations.
According to him, the police had not been properly organised in the tribal districts, while deputy commissioners were left bewildered about how to fulfil their responsibilities. He characterised the predicament of one deputy commissioner as asking, "What am I supposed to do?" These descriptions are his assessments of local administration.
He concluded that the issue today is not merely political or constitutional, but one of FATA's resources and economy. The original merger should be assessed according to the circumstances at the time, he said, while present proposals should be judged in light of today's conditions and interests.