Malik Bismillah Khan Afridi Elected As Leader Of Anti-Merger Movement In Khyber

1/18/2025 10:09:42 AM

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) In Khyber, a 48-member representative committee, comprising delegates from all seven former tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions (FRs), unanimously elected Malik Bismillah Khan Afridi as the 'Mashar' (President) of the anti-merger movement for one year. The meeting, held at Haji Rahim Afridi market in Karkhano, aimed to strengthen the movement opposing the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and to formalize its organizational structure.

During the meeting, participants deemed the FATA merger an unconstitutional and unlawful act, vowing to continue their struggle until the decision is reversed. Malik Bismillah Khan Afridi, the newly elected leader, announced plans to establish three specialized committees: Organizational, Finance, and Media & Social Media Committees. These will be pivotal in ensuring the movement's effective functioning and outreach.

Afridi will also meet with legal representatives to expedite the hearing of the case pending in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. A follow-up meeting to finalize the committee structures is scheduled for February 1.

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Speaking at the meeting, key figures including Malik Khan Marjan, Malik Ziarat Gul Mohmand, Nawabzada Fazal Kareem, Malik Naib Khan, Malik Abdul Razzaq Afridi, Haji Rahim Afridi, and Afrasiab Afridi criticized the merger as a ploy to seize tribal resources, particularly minerals. They lamented that in the seven years since the merger, the tribal population has faced unprecedented hardships.

The leaders expressed their frustration with the government's inability to restore peace in areas like Kurram and its failure to address rising terrorism in the tribal districts. They highlighted the erosion of the traditional tribal Jirga system, which previously ensured swift and accepted dispute resolution.

The committee urged the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to deliver a fair verdict on the matter, restoring trust among the tribal population. They reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful protest, emphasizing that the movement will persist until the merger is revoked and tribal elders regain their authority.

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