ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday said that further consultations on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Reforms Bill will continue to be held with the government.
“We will continue to hold discussions with the government over FATA Reforms Bill,” Fazl said, adding that additional meetings with the military leadership will not be required.
“The prime minister, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Qadir Baloch, and National Security Adviser Lt Gen (r) Nasser Khan Janjua visited my residence last night. We had a detailed discussion and decided to continue discussions,” Fazl told reporters after a meeting with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the Prime Minister’s chamber in Parliament House on the latter’s request. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was also present during the meeting during which discussions were held on the FATA Reforms bill.
“We presented our stance to them which was to gain the approval of the FATA supreme council,” he said. “Prime Minister Abbasi agreed to our request to meet the supreme council and try to get them to agree on the matter,” he added.
During the meeting, which lasted for an hour and a half and was also attended by the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Director-General of Military Operations, Fazl expressed his reservations over the FATA Reforms Bill and was assured by the army chief that the reservations will be addressed.
Following the meeting, Fazl expressed his satisfaction at the meeting with the army chief.
“We are working as per our schedule but I can’t say anything about the approval of FATA Reforms Bill during this session,” Rehman said.
