ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed objections raised on a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan seeking directives for the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar set aside the objections of the apex court’s registrar and issued directives for fixing the matter for hearing before a bench.
Imran Khan had earlier petitioned the apex court, naming President of Pakistan, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions and In-charge FATA Secretariat as respondents, that the federal government had been delaying the merger of the Fata with KP despite provincial government’s readiness.
Advocate Babar Awan, representing the PTI chief, appeared before the CJP and presented his arguments.
He argued that it is the fundamental right of the people of Fata to enjoy equal protection of the law and to be treated in accordance with the law as an integral part of the federation.