The constitutional status of the tribal districts is back at the centre of political debate. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has renewed his criticism of the government over discussions about returning the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to federal administration, according to War Monitor.
Fear of 'resource control under a security pretext'
Citing remarks attributed to him, War Monitor said Fazlur Rehman argued that reconsidering FATA's administrative status could make residents suspect that worsening security was being used to justify greater control over the region's mineral resources.
He also alleged that the public was not being properly informed about how far international powers might be given access to Pakistan's natural resources.
Claim that the 2018 merger was 'a mistake'
Fazlur Rehman claimed that tribal elders had been consulted about the 2018 merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that participants agreed the merger was a mistake that should be reversed. The JUI-F has opposed the merger from the start.
These are his stated positions. According to War Monitor, the consultation he described has not been independently confirmed, and there has been no formal government decision to reverse the merger. The government has not yet responded to his remarks.