PESHAWAR(National Times)- Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Friday that if there is to be a change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it should emerge from within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “My suggestion has been made — there should be a change in the province,” he said at a press conference in Peshawar. He added that JUI-F would make decisions regarding the province only after party consultation, noting that the province cannot afford further political instability. Commenting on the Senate, Fazl said it was too early to offer remarks on any possible adjustments. Following the Supreme Court’s June 27 verdict — which ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is ineligible for reserved seats — the opposition alliance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is now just 20 members short of forming a simple majority in the provincial assembly. A meeting between KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on July 2 further fueled rumours that the federal government may be considering the ouster of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. However, senior PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah have publicly dismissed the possibility of a no-confidence motion against Gandapur. Meanwhile, KP Governor Kundi did not rule out the option entirely. Speaking to Geo News, he stated: “We are not plotting against the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the day we have even one more member in the assembly, it will be our democratic right to move a no-confidence motion.” On the political front, he said JUI-F has differences with PPP, PML-N and ANP, but not hostility. “There is no enmity between PTI and JUI either,” he said, adding that there had been a bitter chapter in their relationship in the past. Addressing the law and order situation, Fazl stated that if the opposition reached out regarding the matter, he would be willing to sit and hold talks.

FATA merger ‘mistake

Regarding the former FATA’s merger with KP, he termed it a mistake. “All parties must accept that FATA’s merger was a wrong decision,” he said, adding that the real issue was the political future of the tribal people, not the merger itself. He said that JUI-F had previously tried to make decisions in consultation with tribal elders. “We had said no to the merger proposal — the tribes must be given the right to decide,” he said. Fazl announced that a grand jirga of tribal leaders will reconvene tomorrow and that JUI-F will seek further consultation with them. He insisted that the consultation of tribal elders on the FATA matter was unavoidable. He also questioned the composition of the committee on FATA-related affairs. “How many Pakhtuns are there in this committee, and how many members are from the province?” he asked. He said the committee had asked JUI-F for a name and recognised the party as a stakeholder. Criticising the misuse of provincial funds, he remarked: “Our province’s money exists only so that perks may be taken.” He also expressed solidarity with oppressed children in KP and Balochistan, saying: “Whenever a child suffers in KP or Balochistan, I consider them my own.” Highlighting governance issues, Fazl noted that even after eight years, no patwari (land revenue official) has been able to go to the FATA region.